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{{Short description|Early medieval dynasty in the Gangetic plains}}
{{About||the branch of the Maukharis that ruled from Gaya|Maukharis of Gaya}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name =
| conventional_long_name = Maukhari dynasty
| common_name =
| era = [[Medieval India]]
| status =
| event_start =
| year_start = {{circa|510 CE}}
| date_start =
| event1 =
| date_event1 =
| event_end =
| year_end = {{circa|606 CE}}
| date_end =
| p1 = Later Guptas
| p2 = Alchon Huns
| p3 = Maukharis of Gaya
| s1 = Later Guptas
| s2 = Pushyabhuti dynasty
| s3 = Gauda Kingdom
| image_flag =
| flag_type =
| image_map = {{Location map+
|South Asia
|overlay_image = Map of the Maukharis.png
|float = center
|width = 290 
|border = none
|nodiv = 1
|mini = 1
|relief = yes
|places =
{{Annotation|text-align=center|90|106|[[Mori Rajputs|MORIS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|230|5|[[550 CE|South-Asia 550-600 CE]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=10|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|80|90|[[Pratiharas of Mandavyapura|PRATIHARAS]] |font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|115|215|[[Pandyan dynasty|PANDYAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|190|[[Chola dynasty|CHOLAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|105|200|[[Chera dynasty|CHERAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|220|125|[[Samatata|SAMATATAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|220|110|[[Gauda Kingdom|GAUDAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|230|98|[[Varman dynasty|VARMANS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|175|[[Pallava dynasty|PALLAVAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|34|[[Nezak Huns|NEZAKS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|75|48|[[Alchon Huns|ALCHONS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|102|40|[[Gonanda dynasty (II)|GONANDAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|110|140|[[Kalachuris of Mahishmati|KALACHURIS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|155|130|[[Nala dynasty|NALAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|150|155|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty|KALINGAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|15|14|[[Hephthalites|HEPHTHALITES]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}{{Annotation|text-align=center|160|2|[[Tocharians|TOCHARIANS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|75|130|[[Maitrakas|MAITRAKAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|80|115|[[Second Aulikara dynasty|AULIKARAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|55|100|[[Rai dynasty|RAIS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|185|120|[[Later Gupta dynasty|LATER GUPTAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|95|70|[[Pushyabhuti dynasty|PUSHYA- BHUTIS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|95|160|[[Chalukya dynasty|CHALUKYAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
{{Annotation|text-align=center|5|55|[[Sasanian Empire|SASANIAN EMPIRE]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8|color=#000000}}

{{Annotation|262|250|[[Template:South Asia in 500 CE| ◁ ]] [[Template:South Asia in 800 CE| ▷ ]]|text-align=center|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=12|color=#000000}}

|caption={{center|Map of the dominions of Maukharis, with neighbouring polities, circa 550-600 CE, after the retreat of the [[Alchon Huns]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |pages=[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/reference/schwartzberg/query.py?object=182&display_type=image_display#gsc.tab=0 145, map XIV.1 (i)], [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/reference/schwartzberg/query.py?object=063&display_type=image_display#gsc.tab=0 26]|isbn=0-226-74221-0 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/bootstrap_index.html#gsc.tab=0}}</ref>}}
}}
| image_map_alt =
| image_map_caption =
| map_width = 290
| capital = [[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]]
| common_languages = [[Sanskrit]]
| religion = [[Hinduism]] [[Buddhism]]
| government_type = Monarchy
| leader1 = Yagna Varman
| year_leader1 =
| leader2 = Isana Varman
| year_leader2 =
| leader3 =
| year_leader3 =
| title_leader = [[King of Kings|Maharajadhiraja]]
| legislature =
| image_coat = Maukharis of Kanauj. Isanavarman. Circa AD 535-553.jpg
| coa_size = 250px
| symbol_type = {{center|Coin of King [[Ishanavarman|Iśanavarman]] of the Maukhari of [[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]], c. 535-553 CE. The ruler faces to the left, whereas in Gupta coinage the ruler faces to the right. This is possibly a symbol of antagonism and rivalry, as also seen on [[:File:Toramana_coin_in_Western_Gupta_style.jpg|some similar coins]] of [[Toramana]].<ref name="RST">{{cite book |last1=Tripathi |first1=Rama S. |title=History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest |date=1989 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0404-3 |page=45 Note 1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Tnh2QjGhMQC&pg=PA45 |language=en}}</ref>}}
}}
The '''Maukhari dynasty''' ([[Gupta script]]: [[File:Maukhari (dynastic name) in the Asirgarh seal.jpg|40px]], ''Mau-kha-ri'') was a post-[[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] dynasty who controlled the vast plains of [[Ganges|Ganga]]-[[Yamuna]] for almost a century from [[Kannauj]]. They earlier served as vassals of the Guptas and later of [[Harsha|Harsha's]] [[Vardhana dynasty]]. The Maukharis established their independence during the mid-6th century. The dynasty ruled over much of [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Magadha]]. Around 606 CE, a large area of their empire was reconquered by the [[Later Guptas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/659350/Maukhari-dynasty |title=Maukhari dynasty (Indian dynasty) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia |publisher=Britannica.com |access-date=26 January 2013}}</ref> According to [[Xuanzang]], the territory may have been lost to King [[Shashanka]] of the [[Gauda Kingdom]], who declared independence circa 600CE.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reza |first1=Mohammad Habib |last2=Bandyopadhyay |first2=S. |last3=Mowla |first3=Azizul |title=Traces of Buddhist architecture in Gupta and post-Gupta Bengal: evidence from inscriptions and literature |date=July–September 2015 |journal=[[Journal of Eurasian Studies]] |volume=VII |issue=3 |pages=8–19 |s2cid=163998400 }}{{unreliable source?|reason=is this the real 'Journal of Eurasian Studies'? Sage and ScienceDirect don't have issue 3 for volume VII; |date=July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Dasgupta |first1=Biplab |title=European Trade and Colonial Conquest, Volume 1 |year=2005 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1-84331-028-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ou82_lNAJsMC&pg=PA15 |access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref>

==Origin==
{{Main|Maukharis of Gaya}}
There is a difference of opinion on the origins of the Maukharis. The initial branch of the Maukharis ruled from [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] in modern-day [[Bihar]] where they were probably subordinates of the [[Gupta Empire]] and after that the [[Later Gupta dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ghosh |first1=Suchandra |chapter=Maukharīs |title=The Encyclopedia of Ancient History: Asia and Africa |date=2023 |pages=1–4 |doi=10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00569 |isbn=978-1-119-39991-9 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00569|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abhishek |first1=Amar |title=Buddhist Responses to Brāhmaṇa Challenges in Medieval India: Bodhgayā and Gayā |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |date=2012 |volume=22 |pages=155–185 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/abs/buddhist-responses-to-brhmaa-challenges-in-medieval-india-bodhgay-and-gay/45445258A3DD61E1E9D6C248F75B520E}}</ref> The Maukharis have been associated with the [[Magadha]] region since the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan period]]. The earliest inscription of the Maukhari dynasty has been found in [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] dating back to the third-century BCE on a clay seal and the Maukharis continued to have a recorded presence in Gaya until the 6th century CE.<ref name=Ghosh2016>{{cite book |last1=Ghosh |first1=Suchandra |chapter=Maukhari Empire |title=The Encyclopedia of Empire |date=2016 |pages=1–3 |doi=10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe271 |isbn=978-1-118-44064-3 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe271|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Due to the events leading to the collapse of the Gupta Empire, Harivarman, the first Maukhari of Kannauj, likely migrated westwards to carve out his own kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tripathi |first1=Rama Shankar |title=History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest |date=1989 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=9788120804043 |pages=28–34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Tnh2QjGhMQC&dq=maukharis+of+gaya&pg=PA32}}</ref>

==History==
The main sources of history regarding the Maukharis of Kannauj include references in texts like the [[Harshacharita]] and [[Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa]], the travelogues of foreign visitors particularly from [[China]] and the inscriptions left both by themselves and by their rivals including the [[Later Gupta dynasty]].<ref name= Ghosh2016 />

After travelling from [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] in [[Bihar]], [[Harivarman]], the first Maukhari ruler of this branch left an inscription dated to 487 CE in [[Sidhi district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and this indicates that he was originally a chief under [[Buddhagupta]] of the [[Gupta Empire|Imperial Guptas]]. His son, Adityavarman, married the sister of Harshagupta of the Later Gupta dynasty. However the first ruler of this line to use the title of ''maharajadhiraja'' was his son, Ishanavarman. The [[Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena]] of the Later Guptas gives information that Ishanavarman defeated the [[Alchon Huns]] in battle while the Haraha inscription gives information on further military victories against the [[Kingdom of Gauda|Gaudas]], [[Vishnukundina dynasty|Andhras]] and the Sulikas (theorised by some scholars to be the [[Chaulukya dynasty|Chaulukyas]]).<ref name= Ghosh2016 /> Despite marital alliances between them, the Maukharis had a rivalry with the Later Guptas of Magadha. Ishanavarman was succeeded by one of his sons, Sarvavarman in approximately 560 CE who in turn was succeeded by Avantivarman in the 580s. Avantivarman was known by various titles including ''[[Parameshvara (epithet)|Paramesvara]]'' and "''pride of the race''". Under his rule, the Maukhari kingdom spread from [[Thaneshwar]] in the West to [[Nalanda district]] in the east.<ref name= Ghosh2016 />

The last Maukhari ruler was Grahavarman who reigned from c. 600 to 605 CE. He was married to a princess of the [[Pushyabhuti dynasty]] leading to an alliance between the two kingdoms however he was killed in battle by [[Devagupta]] of [[Malwa]] and the Maukhari territories where eventually absorbed into the territory of [[Harsha]].<ref name= Ghosh2016 />

===Succession===
The [[Vardhana dynasty]] (also called "Pushyabhuti dynasty") ultimately succeeded the Maukhari dynasty, but it had originally only been a small polity around their capital Sthaneshvara ([[Thanesar]]). According to [[Hans T. Bakker]], their ruler Aditya-Vardhana (or Aditya-Sena) was probably a feudatory to the Maukhari ruler [[Sharvavarman]]. His successor [[Prabhakaravardhana]] may have also been a feudatory to the Maukhari king Avantivarman in his early days. Prabhakara's daughter Rajyashri married Avantivarman's son Grahavarman. As a result of this marriage, Prabhakara's political status increased significantly, and he assumed the imperial title ''Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja'' ("the one to whom the other kings bow because of his valour and affection").{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=79}}

==Army==
The Maukhari army consisted of elephants, cavalry and infantry. Ishanavarman in all probability would have taken much pains to reorganise the army and make it strong and worthy. The Maukhari strategy mainly focused on deploying elephant corps to crush the enemy armies. They were used against the [[Alchon Huns]] and the [[Later Gupta dynasty|Later Gupta]] armies.<ref name="Lal">{{cite web |last1=Lal |first1=Avantika |title=World History Encyclopedia: Maukhari Dynasty |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Maukhari_Dynasty/ |website=[[World History Encyclopedia]] |date=9 May 2019 }}</ref> The Maukharis fought against the remnants of the Alchon Huns in the areas of the [[Gangetic Doab]] and [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]], as documented in the Aphsad inscription, while the [[Aulikaras]] repelled them in the [[Malwa]] region.<ref name="MG145">{{cite journal |last1=GHOSE |first1=MADHUVANTI |title=The Impact of the Hun Invasions: A Nomadic Interlude in Indian Art |journal=Bulletin of the Asia Institute |date=2003 |volume=17 |pages=145–146 |jstor=24049312 |issn=0890-4464}}</ref> The Aphsad inscription of [[Aditya-sena|Ādityasena]] mentions the military successes of kings of the [[Later Gupta dynasty]] against the Maukharis, themselves past victors of the Alchon Huns:<ref name="MG145"/>

{{blockquote|[[File:Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena.jpg|thumb|150px|left|The [[Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena]]]]"The son of that king ([[Kumara-gupta|Kumaragupta]]) was the illustrious [[Damodara-gupta|Dâmôdaragupta]], by whom (his) enemies were slain, just like the demons by (the god) [[Damodar (name of Krishna)|Dâmôdara]]. Breaking up the proudly stepping array of mighty elephants, belonging to the Maukhari, which had thrown aloft in battle the troops of the [[Alchon Huns|Hûnas]] (in order to trample them to death), he became unconscious (and expired in the fight)."|Line 8 of the [[Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Madan |first1=A. P. |title=The History of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas |date=1990 |publisher=Harman Publishing House |isbn=978-81-85151-38-0 |page=208 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kr1AAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref>}}

The Maukharis, rather than the [[Gupta Empire|Guptas]], were therefore the key actors in repelling the Hunas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Willis |first1=Michael |title=Later Gupta History: Inscriptions, Coins and Historical Ideology |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |date=2005 |volume=15 |issue=2 |page=140 |jstor=25188529 |issn=1356-1863}}</ref>

==Administration==
[[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]], the Maukhari capital, grew in prosperity and importance as a great cosmopolitan city. After the demise of the Maukharis, it even became the capital of Emperor [[Harsha]]. Hence, Kanyakubja was largely contested by imperial powers.<ref name=Sen>Sen, S.N., 2013, A Textbook of Medieval Indian History, Delhi: Primus Books, {{ISBN|978-93-80607-34-4}}</ref>{{rp|20}}<ref name="Lal"/><ref name="RST 215">{{cite book |last1=Tripathi |first1=Rama S. |title=History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest |date=1989 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0404-3 |page=215|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Tnh2QjGhMQC&pg=PA45 |language=en}}</ref>

The first three Maukhari kings are mentioned in the inscriptions as [[Maharaja]], but their successors assumed grander titles showing an increase in power and prestige. Ishanavarman was the first Maukhari ruler to adopt the title Maharajadhiraja (lit., King of Great Kings).<ref name="Lal"/>

==Cultural and international exchanges==
[[File:6th century Asirgarh seal inscription, Sarvavarman, Hindu Maukhari dynasty, Sanskrit.jpg|thumb|Asirgarh seal inscription of [[Sharvavarman]], Maukhari dynasty, 6th century .<ref>{{cite web |title=Siddham. The Asian Inscription Database IN00144 Asirgadh Seal Inscription of Sarvavarman |url=https://siddham.network/inscription/in00144/?section=translation |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Siddham. The Asian Inscription Database Śarvavarman |url=https://siddham.network/tag/sarvavarman/ |language=en}}</ref>]]
The Maukhari kings were patrons of poets and writers and many literary works were composed during their reign.<ref name="Lal"/> Various seals and inscriptions are known, such as the Asirgarh seal inscription of [[Sharvavarman]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vats |first1=Madho Sarup |title=Sohnag Terracotta Seal of Avantivarman |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |date=1946 |volume=9 |pages=74–77 |jstor=44137039 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref> or the [[:File:Haraha inscription of Isanavarman.jpg|Haraha inscription]] of [[Ishanavarman|Isanavarman]], discovered near the village of Harara in the [[Barabanki district]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] and dated to [[Vikrama Samvat]] 610 (ie 554 CE), which record the genealogy of the Maukharis.<ref name="Epigraphia Indica Vol.14">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=F. w |title=Epigraphia Indica Vol.14 |date=1918 |pages=110–116 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108415/page/n135/mode/2up}}</ref>

===Contacts with the Sasanian Empire===
[[File:King Khosrow sits before the chessboard, while his vizir and the envoy of Qannuj are playing chess. Shahnameh, 10th century CE.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sasanian Empire]] King [[Khosrow I]] sits before the chessboard, while his vizir and the Indian envoy of [[Kannauj]] are playing chess. ''[[Shahnama]]'', 10th century CE.<ref name="ME"/>]]
[[File:Haraha inscription of Isanavarman.jpg|thumb|The Harahara inscription of [[Ishanavarman]]. The inscription, dated to [[Vikrama Samvat]] 610 (ie 554 CE), records the genealogy of the Maukharis.<ref name="Epigraphia Indica Vol.14"/>]]
With the end of Hunnic power, new contacts were established between India and the [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian Persia]]. Intellectual games such as [[chess]] and [[backgammon]] demonstrated and celebrated the diplomatic relationship between [[Khosrow I]] and a "great king of India." The [[vizier]] of the Indian king invented chess as a cheerful, playful challenge to Emperor Khosrow. It seems that the Indian ruler who sent the game of chess to Khosrow was the Maukhari monarch [[Śarvavarman]] of [[Kannauj]], between the beginning of Śarvavarman's reign in 560/565 and the end of Khosrow's reign in 579.<ref name="ME">{{cite book |last1=Eder |first1=Manfred A. J. |title=South Asian Archaeology 2007 Proceedings of the 19th Meeting of the European Association of South Asian Archaeology in Ravenna, Italy, July 2007, Volume II |date=2010 |publisher=Archaeopress Archaeology |isbn=978-1-4073-0674-2 |page=69 |url=http://history.chess.free.fr/papers/Eder%202007-2.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bakker |first1=Hans T. |author-link=Hans T. Bakker|title=The Huns in Central and South Asia. How Two Centuries of War against Nomadic Invaders from the Steps are Concluded by a Game of Chess between the Kings of India and Iran |date=2017 |url=https://www.academia.edu/34156496}}</ref> When the game was sent to Iran it came with a letter which read: "As your name is the King of Kings, all your emperorship over us connotes that your wise men should be wiser than ours. Either you send us an explanation of this game of chess or send revenue and tribute us."<ref name="canepa">Canepa 2009, p. 181</ref> Khosrow's grand vizier successfully solved the riddle and figured out how to play chess. In response the wise vizier created the game backgammon and sent it to the Indian court with the same message. The Indian king was not able to solve the riddle and was forced to pay tribute.<ref name="canepa" />

== Rulers ==
The known Maukhari rulers of ''madhya-desha'' include:{{sfn|Ronald M. Davidson|2012|p=34-35}}<ref>However, the dates below are not Davidson's, which are completely different.</ref>
[[File:Nalanda Clay Seals of Sharvavarman (detail).jpg|thumb|Maukhari design on a Nalanda Clay Seal of [[Sharva-varman|Sharvavarman]].]]
* [[Harivarman]]<ref>Documented by the Shankarpur copper-plate inscription: see SIDDHAM: the asia inscriptions database: https://siddham.network/inscription/in00067/</ref>
* Adityavarman
* Ishvaravarman (Iśvaravarman)
* [[Ishanavarman]] (Iśanavarman), r.c. 550–574 CE
* [[Sharva-varman|Sharvavarman]] (Śarvavarman), r. c. 574–586 CE
* Avantivarman
* [[Grahavarman]], r. c. 600–605 CE

==Barabar branch of Maukhari rulers ==
[[File:Barabar Caves Gopika Cave Inscription of Anantavarman 5th- or 6th-century CE Sanskrit in Gupta script.jpg|thumb|The [[Gopika Cave Inscription]] of Anantavarman (left half).]]
The [[Barabar Caves|Barabar Cave]] inscriptions attest the existence of another Maukhari branch. This branch ruled as feudatories, probably that of the [[Later Guptas]]. The known rulers of this branch include:<ref>{{cite book |author=Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha |author-link=Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha |title=Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450-1200 A.D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V3KDaZY85wYC&pg=PA109 |year=1977 |publisher=Abhinav |pages=109–110 |oclc=464639312}}</ref>

* ''Nrpa Shri'' Yajnavarman
* ''Nrpa Samantachudamani Shri'' Shardulavarman
* Anantavarman

<gallery>
File:Lomas_Rishi_entrance_inscription.jpg|[[Lomas Rishi]] cave inscription of Anantavarman
File:Barabar_Nagarjuni_Caves,_Anantavarman_Inscription_Sanskrit.jpg|[[Gopika Cave Inscription]] of Anantavarman
File:5th_or_6th_century_Vadathika_Cave_Inscription,_Sanskrit,_Shaivism,_Anantavarman,_Gupta_script,_Ancient_Om_symbol_2.jpg|[[Vadathika Cave Inscription]] of Anantavarman
</gallery>

In some of the Barabar Caves inscriptions, the words referring to the Ajivikas appear to have been defaced, although the rest of the text appears intact. [[E. Hultzsch]] theorised that the defacement took place when the Maukhari ruler Ananta-varman installed Hindu images at the Caves. However, Basham dismisses this theory, noting that there is little evidence to support this view and the only cave in which the word ''Ajivikehi'' remains intact is among the three caves where Ananta-varman installed a Hindu image. According to Basham, since the defacement is selective, it must have taken place when the Brahmi script had still not been forgotten, likely some time before the 5th century CE.{{sfn|Basham|1951|pp=157–159}}

== See also ==
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}
* [[Megasthenes]]
* [[List of Hindu empires and dynasties]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last1=Thaplyal |first1=Kiran Kumar |title=Inscriptions of the Maukharīs, Later Guptas, Puṣpabhūtis, and Yaśovarman of Kanauj |date=1985 |publisher=Indian Council of Historical Research |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5svAAAAMAAJ&q=maukharis+and+later+guptas}}
* {{cite book |author=Hans Bakker |author-link=Hans T. Bakker |title=The World of the Skandapurāṇa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6p2XCgAAQBAJ |year=2014 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-27714-4 }}
* {{cite book |author=Ronald M. Davidson |title=Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nwyeIyWTlEMC |isbn=978-0-231-50102-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Basham |first=A.L. |title=History and Doctrines of the Ājīvikas |year=1951 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.2179 |publisher=Luzac |location=London}} Reprinted by Moltilal Banarsidass in 1981
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* Joseph Schwartzberg. [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/ The Historical Atlas of South Asia]. Map of the "[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=063 Age of Pusyabhutis & Calukyans, c. A.D. 550-700] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112181611/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=063 |date=12 January 2024 }}". (Pg 26).

[[Category:Maukhari dynasty| ]]
[[Category:Hindu states]]
[[Category:History of Kannauj]]
[[Category:6th-century establishments in India]]
[[Category:7th-century disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 7th century]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of Bihar]]

Maukharis of Kannauj - Revision history

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