Pushyabhuti Dynasty
Dynasty / Vansh
Pushyabhuti
First Ruler
Prabhakarvardhan
Prabhakarvardhan Title
Maharajadhiraj
Maukharis se relation
Marital alliance (strengthen position)
Maukharis Dynasty — Origin
- Originally resident of Gaya, Bihar
- Founder: Harivarman (510 CE)
Harshavardhana (606–647 CE)
Age at coronation
16 years (after brother's murder)
Nickname / Biruda
Shiladitya
Court historian
Banabhatta (Harshacharita)
📚 Books composed by Harsha
- Nagananda
- Ratnavali
- Priyadarshika
⚔️ Military Strength
- 60,000 elephants
- 1 lakh (100,000) horses
- India's last Hindu emperor
🔴 Southern Campaign — Stopped!
- Chalukya King Pulakeshin II ne Harsha ko rok diya
- Battle location: Narmada river bank
- Harsha defeated — mentioned in Aihole Inscription
- Kannauj = centre of political power (fortified since 7th century)
🇨🇳 Huen Tsang — Harsha ke court mein
- Chinese traveler — visited 629 CE
- Stayed for ~15 years in India
- Came to Nalanda Mahavihara → Chancellor: Shilabhadra
- Called Shudras as farmers in his description
- Described Mehtar, Chandalas etc.
- Mentioned that Pataliputra & Vaishali were in decline
- Stayed in court of Bhaskarvarman and Harshavardhana
Administrative Structure
State Division Hierarchy
Rashtra
(State)
→
Bhukti
(Province)
→
Vishaya
(District)
→
Gram
(Village)
- System: Monarchical
- Land grants by officers via governance letters (Sanads) — practice starts here
Key Officers
| Officer Name |
Role |
| Avanti |
Officer of war and peace |
| Simhanada |
Commander-in-chief |
| Kuntal |
Chief of Ashwamedha |
| Skandagupta |
Chief of Elephant army |
| Samanta / Maharaj |
Chief of civil administration |
Economy & Taxes
Revenue Distribution
- One part → King's expenses
- Another part → Religious works
| # |
Tax Name |
Type |
| 1 |
Bhaga |
Land tax (1/6th of produce) |
| 2 |
Hiranya |
Cash tax (from traders) |
| 3 |
Bali |
Possibly religious tax |
Source: Harsha period copper plates
Major Chinese Travelers to India
- Came to court of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya
- First Buddhist monk to come from China to India
- Route: China → Bengal (land route)
- Came during Harshavardhana's time
- Stayed in court of Bhaskarvarman and Harshavardhana
- Visited Nalanda Mahavihara
- Stayed in India for ~15 years
- Came to India by sea route
- Information about Buddhist monasteries found
- Also mentioned Shri Gupta's temple (40 villages revenue)
Rulers who Sent Ambassadors to China
| # |
Ruler |
Dynasty |
| 1 |
Harshavardhana |
Pushyabhuti dynasty |
| 2 |
Narasimha Varman II |
Pallava dynasty |
| 3 |
Yashovarman |
Kannauj ruler |
| 4 |
Kulottunga I |
Chola dynasty |
Traveler Quick Match
Pehla Chinese Buddhist monk India aaya?
Fa-Hien (399–414 CE) — Chandragupta II ke time
Huen Tsang kab aaya?
629–645 CE — Harsha ke time
Sea route se India aaya?
I-Tsing (671–695 CE)
Vakataka Dynasty — Overview
Rise
Northern Maharashtra & Vidarbha
Capital
Nandivardhana (Nagpur)
Language developed
Sanskrit — Vaidarbhi style
- Founder compared with Indra & Vishnu
- Brahmins ko large land grants — Brahmin supporter
- Many Vedic yagyas performed
- Sanskrit ki Vaidarbhi style ka complete development
Major Rulers
- Vakataka power ka expansion
- Only ruler who held title Maharaja (Emperor / Samrat)
- 4 Ashwamedha yagyas, 1 Vajapeya yagya, many Vedic ceremonies
- After his death — Vakatakas split into two branches:
→ Pravarapura-Nandivardhana (main)
→ Basim (Vatsagulma)
- Marriage with Chandragupta II's daughter — Prabhavati Gupta
- Adopted Vaishnavism (abandoned Buddhism)
- Last powerful ruler of main branch
- Wrote poetic work: Setubandha
- Built new capital: Pravarapura
Chalukya Dynasty — Overview
- Western Deccan mein power established in early 6th century
- 3 Prominent Branches:
→ Chalukyas of Badami (main)
→ Western Chalukya (Kalyani)
→ Eastern Chalukya (Vengi)
Chalukyas of Badami (Main Branch)
Capital
Vatapi (modern Badami, Karnataka)
Location
Bijapur district, Karnataka
- Real Founder of Chalukyas of Badami
- Called "lord of Vatapi-pura bride" in Aihole Inscription
- Freed from Kadamba ruler's subordination → brought to independent status
- Title: Paramabhagavata, Parameshwara, Satyashraya
- Aihole Inscription — Author: Court poet Ravikirti
- Battle vs Harsha (632 CE) — Narmada river bank → Harsha defeated
- Battle vs Pallava → Narsimhavarman victorious, took title Vatapikonda
(controlled Vatapi)
- Hyderabad copper plate: "one who participates in hundreds of battles"
Western Chalukya (Kalyani)
| Detail |
Info |
| Founder |
Tailapa II |
| Conflict |
With Cholas |
| Most Powerful |
Vikramaditya VI |
| Last Ruler |
Someshwara IV |
Eastern Chalukya (Vengi)
| Detail |
Info |
| Founder |
Vishnuvardhana |
| Last Ruler |
Vijayaditya VII |
| Most Prominent |
Vikramaditya II |
| Special Fact |
First use of Telugu language |
Chalukya Art & Architecture
Vesara Style
- Vesara = Nagara (North) + Dravidian (South) — Hybrid style
- Developed in Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal (Bijapur district, Karnataka)
- Aihole nickname: "City of Temples / Protector"
- Total temples in Aihole: 70
- First temple: Lad Khan Temple | Last temple: Meguti
Key Temples
- Temple has NO Shikhara (Spire)
- Plan similar to Vihar (monastery)
- Builder: Vijayaditya
- Entrance of sanctum decorated with Panchashakha (five-banded)
- Space between sanctum and mandapa — new feature
- Mahavir Sinhasan coronation ceremony held here
- Total temples: 10
4 Nagara Style
Papnath Temple
6 Dravidian Style
Virupaksha
Sangameshwara
Mallikarjuna
Galpnatha
Someshwara
Jain Temple
- Largest, most ornamented & best temple at Pattadakal
- Built by: Lokamahadevi (Vikramaditya II's wife)
- Nandi Mandapa — important part
- First Gopuram (temple gateway tower)
- Walls: scenes of Ramayana engraved
- Walls: Nataraja Shiva with 81 different mudras
⚠️ Exam Traps — Post-Gupta Empire
Trap #1 — Harsha — Last Hindu Emperor
Harshavardhana ko India's last Hindu emperor kaha jata hai. Yeh aksar MCQ mein aata hai —
"last Hindu emperor" = Harsha, not koi Gupta ruler.
Trap #2 — Harsha ki Books
Harsha ke baare mein Banabhatta ne Harshacharita likhi. Lekin Harsha ne khud teen books likhi:
Nagananda, Ratnavali, Priyadarshika. Harshacharita ≠ Harsha dwara likhit.
Trap #3 — Narmada Battle — Who Won?
Pulakeshin II ne Harsha ko Narmada riverbank par rok diya aur defeat kiya (632 CE). Exam mein
"Harsha victorious" ka trap hota hai — actually Harsha defeated hua. Mentioned in Aihole
Inscription.
Trap #4 — Vatapikonda title
Vatapikonda title liya tha Pallava king Narsimhavarman ne — Vatapi (Chalukya
capital) control karne ke baad. Yeh Chalukya ne nahi liya, Pallava ne liya.
Trap #5 — Fa-Hien vs Huen Tsang
Fa-Hien aaya Chandragupta II ke time (399–414 CE). Huen Tsang aaya Harsha ke
time (629–645 CE). I-Tsing = sea route, Buddhist monasteries. Dono ko mix mat karo.
Trap #6 — Vesara = Hybrid Style
Vesara style = Nagara + Dravidian ka mixture. Pure Dravidian ya pure Nagara nahi. Chalukya
architecture = Vesara. Location: Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal (Karnataka).
Trap #7 — Lad Khan Temple mein Shikhara NAHI hai
Lad Khan Temple (Aihole's first temple) mein koi Shikhara (spire) nahi hai — plan
Vihar jaisa hai. First Gopuram = Virupaksha Temple mein. Confuse mat karo.