Tag: history

Harshavardhana ascended the throne of Thanesar in 606 A.D. after the death of his brother Rajyavardhana.

Harshavardhana's expansion into the Deccan was halted by the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II at the battle on the banks of the Narmada.

Hieun Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana with an aim of securing authentic Buddhist scripts. The Kannauj assembly (643 AD) was held in the honour of Hieun Tsang and to popularise Mahayana sect of Buddhism. Bāṇabhaṭṭa was a 7th-century Sanskrit prose writer and poet of India. He was the Asthana Kavi in the court of King Harsha Vardhana. Fa-hien was a Chinese pilgrim who visited India during the reign of Chandra Gupta II. Hence, these are incorrect. 

Harshavardhana belonged to the Pushyabhuti dynasty, also known as the Vardhana dynasty, which ruled from Thanesar.

Harshavardhana was initially a devotee of Shiva but later became a patron of Buddhism, particularly after meeting the monk Xuanzang.

Harshavardhana shifted his capital from Thanesar to Kannauj to better control the Gangetic plains.

Agriculture was the primary occupation of the people during the reign of Harshavardhana, as it was in most ancient Indian kingdoms.

Harshavardhana convened a great Buddhist assembly at Kannauj in 643 A.D. to discuss Buddhist philosophy.

Harshavardhana is credited with writing three Sanskrit plays: Ratnavali, Priyadarshika, and Nagananda.

Historical records indicate that King Harshavardhana supported Nalanda University by donating the revenue from 200 villages. This provided the necessary financial stability for the institution to function.