How Harshavardhana became the King?

Harshavardhana was, arguably, the last ruler of Ancient India. His reign of more than forty years greatly influenced the history of Early Medieval India. In this video, we look at how Harshavardhana became the emperor of the Pushyabhutis and the Maukharis.
Reference:-
1. Harsha-charita of Bana, trans. by Cowell and Thomas, 1897
2. Harsha : A Political Study by D. Devahuti
3. The World of the Skandapurāṇa by Hans T. Bakker
4. Harṣa and his Times by Baijanth Sharma
5. Harshacharita of Banabhatta by PV Kane
6. The Past Before Us by Romila Thapar
Credits:-
Inputs on the script from Pushkar Chaudhary
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[@mr.bitthalnilotpalsarangi733]

Extraordinary way of going into details and still explaining in simple language.

[@harshvardhnrai]

Harshvardhan was a great patron of the arts. He himself was an eminent writer, playwright, poet and accomplished musician. Harsh wrote famous plays called ‘Naganand’, ‘Ratnavali’ and ‘Priyadarshika’. Harshvardhan was more inclined toward art, literature, music, philosophy, architecture and spirituality. Famous poets, philosophers and writers such as Banabhatta, Haridutt, Mayura and Jaisen were adored in his court. Harsh was the chief patron of the University of Nalanda where about 10,000 students from all parts of India and abroad studied. Thanks to the numerous endowments that were made to the Nalanda University, a mighty wall enclosing the edifices of the university was constructed during his rule. This wall saved the university from attacks and invasions by the enemies during his rule and that ensured the prosperity of this great centre of learning. Harshvardhan was a great strategist and commander. He continued his military conquests for the first 6 years of his rule straight and fought numerous wars. By the end of 6 years, he subjugated most of the kingdoms in Northern India and his military would increased so much that at any given point, he was able to field an army of 60,000 war elephants and 100,000 cavaliers. Later on, Harsh was a supporter of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism and also used to pray to Lord Vishnu and he was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Harshvardhan was principally a follower of the School of Classicism. He was known as one of the most generous, munificent and charitable kings of all time in the history of India. It is believed that Harsh used to provide food to 500 Brahmins and 1000 Buddhists monks every day. It is reckoned that in Kashi, once Harshvardhan donated so much in a donation ceremony that he had to go to his palace wearing his sister Rajyashri’s clothes. Harsh organized two ‘The Great Religious Conventions’ in Kannauj and Prayag in about 643 AD. The summit organized by Harsh in Prayag has been called Moksha Parishhad (The Council of Emancipation). Harsha was married to Durgavati with whom he had two sons - Vagyavardhana and Kalyanvardhana. Sadly, Harshvardhan faced betrayal and both his sons were murdered by Harsh’s chief minister Arunashwa, which eventually left Harsh with no heir to rule his huge empire after his death. Harshvardhan was the last Hindu emperor to rule over a vast empire in India before the invasions by the Muslims. Harsh lived till 647 CE. His 41 years of rule were very peaceful except for the first 6 years. He is considered the last major king of the ancient history of India. The demise of King Harshvardhan marked the end of the mighty Vardhana dynasty.

[@king_halcyon]

The next chad king after Samudragupta and Chandragupta II

[@gameruleworld.1889]

​@@king_halcyon true chandragupta maurya, samudragupta, chandragupta 2,harshavardhana,mahirbhoja of pratihar empire who defeated arabs and then rajendra chola these Chad's are the guys under their rule india had dominated the world in every aspects be it in expansion, economy,arts or Architecture 🔥

[@nischalr577]

Great video! Will there be a series on Badami Chalukyas soon? Either after Harsha's series or parallel to this. Because of the battle between Harsha and Pulakesin II

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Yes, will certainly cover this topic.

[@rajurastogi18]

This battle is certain reason of Pride for us dakkhani people

[@Archi.x002]

Bro can you make a detailed video about Chera dynasty of Kerala... It is less discussed

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I've made a video on the the three kingdom of the Sangam Age. Here I have talked about the Cheras. Do take a look. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYesq5Jmhb6AgLM&ab_channel=JayVardhanSingh

[@Archi.x002]

@@JayVardhanSingh could you make detailed separate videos on these three kingdoms? Separate video for cheras, cholas and pandyas, include their rise, peak era and fall.

[@ArvindKumar-rl7vs]

​@@Archi.x002 You make

[@Archi.x002]

@@ArvindKumar-rl7vs I don't have equipments bro I'm trying my maximum to learn about them. I read

[@noelbalfour2116]

Can you please make an alternate history video in which the mauryan empire never fell.

[@raginisingh2251]

Excellent

[@historyandmore9555]

Saw you on Vaad podcast and binge watched all the videos here and subscribed. I had a question, why did no Indian empire expanded east, whether it is Mauryas or Guptas or anyone else we hear about empires extending into far west reaches like Afghanistan and Iran but never about expansion into places like Cambodia or Vietnam. I know there are ancient hindu idols found in these nations during excavations which means Indians did in fact expand in east but we never hear about any conquests.

[@reachingthestars8652]

Indians do expanded east. Chola Empire ruled almost the whole of Southeast Asia.

[@Barca_fan129]

the cholas expanded there but not mauryas or guptas

[@witchilich]

Cambodia's Funan kingdom was established by Kaundinya from Kalinga. Odd Compass made a video on this.

[@manavsharma1236]

Military conquest of SE Asia came during the Chola reign but cultural conquest by traders and learned brahmins had already been done by the early centuries of 1st millenium CE. In fact when Rajendra Chola had a major contest with the Shrivijaya kingdom, the great SE Asian power, which as you can guess from its name, was already a hindu empire.

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thank you. About your question, I think Indian powers that were maritime did expand in South East Asia. If you're asking why there was no land based campaigns (say from Magadha to Combodia). I think this was because of geographical and strategic limitations.

[@pratikkatkar5032]

What a great name harshavardhan Belong to strong , great,loyal,mighty Such a glory of this great king

[@jayastubanerjee1998]

Being a bengali, now I can feel a strong power of Bengal.

[@sanketm1663]

😂

[@BPSinghSaini]

But today you are under communist… In fact.. Bengal k ppl ko yaha bhi yaad nahi ki 1905 me kya hua tha? Aur wo bhoomi jo 1905 me chali gai usko wapas jeetna hai aur logo ki Ghar wapsi bhi karani hai

[@rishavkumar1250]

@@BPSinghSaini what gharwapsi ? Bangladeshis were never hindus . They were originally Buddhists

[@BPSinghSaini]

@@rishavkumar1250 read about Shashank the King of Bengal. Bhai Gharwapsi karao le enn logo ki ya kuch bhi kara lo….. enn logo ka software hi kharab hai…. Enn logo Hindu ya Buddhist ban kar bhi yahi kaam karna hai

[@kenkaneki4925]

​@@rishavkumar1250😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ankitvasishth5185]

Hi please made some videos about nalanda mahavihar, Oodantpuri mahavihar and vaishali mahavihar.

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[@akk7791]

Nice 👍

[@dhruvsingh7215]

Can you make a video on clothing of early medival period from 500 ce to 100 ce

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will try to make a video on this topic.

[@Lmao69]

You need to make a separate video on Maharajadhiraj Shashanka , The first Emperor of Bengal.

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Yes, will do that soon.

[@ArvindKumar-rl7vs]

Define bengal

[@Lmao69]

@@ArvindKumar-rl7vs land from the eastern Himalayas to the bay of bengal. From east of magadh to samatat . The Fortress of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and shaktism . And the land of Tantra.

[@Lmao69]

@@ArvindKumar-rl7vs is that enough?

[@Barca_fan129]

usually the last rulers of a time period see the fall while they are old and are very stressed or die very early before the fall

[@Lmao69]

Can you make a video about how the Gupta Empire was governed

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will certainly make a video on this topic.

[@stormshadow5283]

Can you go in detail regarding the Pushyabhuti-Bhauma alliance and its impact?

[@greatkaafir7478]

Yashodharman Was Bais Rajput In UP There Was Another Bais King Suhaldev Bais In Bangal There Was Bais Rajput King Who Defeated Akbar His Name Was Isa Khan Bais | 🙏🚩🚩🚩

[@notorious9278]

Haha no bais bhais is wrong name

[@deependerkadian5524]

Chutiye har kisi ko apna baap bana lete ho

[@shashediri544]

Sir I would like to know how Buddhism declined in India without any trace until English archeologists such as Alexander Cunningham found Buddhist ruins.?

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thank you. I haven't come across any such evidence of local marriages.

[@reachingthestars8652]

When will you make video about King Lalitadatiya of Kashmir ?

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I will certainly do a video on Lalitaditya. But before that I will cover the history of 7th century India first.

[@DebarghyaBhattacharyya]

Which dynasties ruled eastern India after the Kanvas and until the rise of the Guptas?

[@rajendragaikwad3963]

Harshavardhan gave shelter to Buddhism because of the help given by two Buddhist monks to his sister.He lived and died with Buddhist principles.

[@rishabhyadav6705]

🤡brainless cope hard buddhist save her sister from getting sati doesn't proof he followed buddhist what's the sense in this? And he lived and died with vedic principles

[@unapologetic95]

You should include more animation to make the video more catchy

[@usernotfound40412]

I've heard that Harsha had some nominal control/tribute over Kashmir. Some instance like taking away a relic of Buddha. Can you corroborate this? One hint can be that the later Huns of kashmir were very Indianized with names like Vasudeva/Yudhustira.

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Will cover this in a future video about Harsha's conquest.

[@ghanvedsingh8946]

Who was Gowda king and where was his kingdom?

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Shashanka, I've done a separate video on it.

[@mridulajmeri2552]

It's almost like game of thrones Stark House Jon being harshavardhan saving sansa Robb being rajyavardhan treacherously killed by shashank / frey house

[@Lmao69]

Shashank never treacherously killed rajyavardhan,it is not supported by any historians. maharajadhiraj shashanka killed him in battle.

[@mridulajmeri2552]

@@Lmao69 idk sorry i was only citing what he was narrating in the video

[@Lmao69]

​@@mridulajmeri2552 well it was written in the harshacharitra ,but obviously bana was trying to villify shashanka as he was the their enemy

[@mridulajmeri2552]

@@Lmao69 ok i get it

[@mridulajmeri2552]

@@Lmao69 can you mention the source for your statement would love to read that

[@manthanpandya7501]

Why Maukhari people allowed Harshvardhan to rule from Kannauj ? After Grahvarman no one from the royal family tried to acquire throne? How is that possible without any clash and peacefully Harshwardhan was coronnated on the throne? This lead to merging of both states into single power

[@Lmao69]

Probably devagupta killed them

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I will cover this question in the upcoming video on Harshavardhana.

[@ashokram552]

Harshvardhan was a great emperor.

[@arnavpandey5386]

Mihir bhoj?

[@ramireddy76]

Pity the so called historians cant think beyond gangetic plains. this emperor was thoroughly defeated by PULAKESI 2. There were many Kingdoms/Empires all around the country After Harsha.

[@user-tu6bn5pv4n]

Historians focus around Gangetic plains because, during agrarian age, Gangetic plains was resourceful and had a large workforce which would make it an locus of trade and power. And Harshvardhan here being called the last emperor of Ancient India is because it is the consensus among historians because of the imperial polity and various factors.

[@witchilich]

@@user-tu6bn5pv4n foreign powers like China recognised Harsha as the emperor of India and as an imperial power representing our India. This has also happened with Southern Empires. Vasisthiputra Sri Pulumavi of Satavahana Empire is mentioned by Ptolemy as "Siriptolemaios" as a contemporary of the Shaka king Chastana. Romans viewed Satavahanas as an imperial power representing India and Shakas as the rulers Bactra(even though geographically Bactra is much further away). Similarly Rashtrakutas were mentioned as one of the four largest empires by Arab writers. Compared to Harsha, Chalukyas were just viewed as local South Indian power even during there time. Hence, we talk about Harsha more. That said I would consider the Pratiharas as the last empires of ancient India. Under Mihira Bhoja and then Mahendrapala, they conquered and ruled a region almost the same size as Harsha or the Guptas. There capital was also in Kannauj(they called it Panchala). Medieval India should start with 10th/11th century.

[@Lmao69]

@@witchilich the medival period of India starts after the Harsha i guess

[@stormshadow5283]

The South was and always is backwards when compared to the north.

[@kikaa1884]

Rajputs ruled North India for 500 Years Indian subcontinent from 647 AD to 1200 AD.

[@MK-br3gl]

What caste were the pushyabhutis?

[@times2508]

वैस ।

[@netineti5953]

It's bit confusing as Xuanzang and other sources call them Rajputras of Vais clan. Also perhaps Bana mentions the marriage of Pushyabhutis and Maukharis as union of illustrious dynasties of sun and moon. So I'd say they were most probably kshatriya

[@girishg414]

@Jay question regarding the societal state of Northern India between the time of Mihirakula's defeat by the Maukhris/Yashodharman & the Arab invasions- so roughly between 530-650 AD. Was the society so exhausted fighting the Huns that they had war fatigue by the time Persia fell to the Arab Muslims? Could you please do some research on this fascinating time period as I think 100-120 yrs was not enough for the society to fully recover to face a even greater foreign threat than the Huns.

[@AnandaVasishta]

Krishna Deva Raya, the Emperor of Vijayanagara empire was the last emperor of India and not Harshavardhan.

[@mayankdubey2006]

Bhai wo ancient India ki baat kar rha tha

[@ArvindKumar-rl7vs]

Did Vijayanagara end with Krishna deva raya? There were no further kings? Don't comment just for the sake of it to reveal your idiocy

[@ganeshcsaiisc]

Your channel is great, But I only have problem with the pronunciations. Everytime you say Harsh-vardhan, it feels like rock in my teeth. Because Harshavardhana, not Harsh-vardhan. Mihira-kula, not Mihir kul. North Indians tend to pronounce Sanskrit names incorrectly, the problem here is we are talking about a period when Hindi didn't exist(nor would it even after 1500 years later).

[@kgzb123]

These kings were north indian... It is most likely that during those time pronunciation of these names were similar to how north indian pronounce it today...

[@manthanpandya7501]

Harsha was Buddhist or Shaiva?

[@witchilich]

He was Syncretic like many other Indian emperors.

[@Lmao69]

He was a shaiva

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I will do a video on the religion of Harshavardhana also.

[@stormshadow5283]

Harsha called himself Paramaheshvar or supreme devotee of Shiva.

[@bibhurout3611]

I have viewed all your lectures. No offense but looks like all your infis were from our school text books. 6th-10th. Would like to hear something different. In the sense opinions of different historians on different topics.

[@jashansohi2774]

Bhai plz hindi channel lao Bohot growth hogi

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I've started a Hindi Channel. Here's the link www.youtube.com/@ThestoryofIndia

[@benefactor4309]

Mihir Bhoja and Rajendra Chola were much bigger than Harshvardhan

[@witchilich]

Will you eventually make a video on the Bhauma-Karas who had 7 female rulers?

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will certainly try to do a video about this dynasty.