Pushyabhuti dynasty: Difference between revisions

Pushyabhuti dynasty
(Vardhana dynasty)
Pushyabhuti dynasty; (Vardhana dynasty)
c. 500–c. 647 CE
	Coin of Harshavardhana, c. 606–647 CE. Obverse: portrait of Harshavardhana with a crescent over the head. Reverse: Fan-tailed Garuda standing facing.
	South-Asia; 600–650 CE PRATIHARAS PALLAVAS PANDYAS CHOLAS CHERAS NEZAK; HUNS KALINGAS TOKHARA; YABGHUS WESTERN TURKS PATOLAS KARKOTAS TIBETAN; EMPIRE TOCHARIANS MAITRAKAS KALACHURIS CHACHAS CHALUKYAS SASANIAN; EMPIRE ◁ ▷ Map of the Pushyabhutis at their zenith, c. 600-650 CE, and neighbouring polities.
Capital	Sthanvishvara (modern Thanesar); Kanyakubja (modern Kannauj)
Government	Monarchy
• c. 500-525 CE	Pushyabhuti
• c. 525-545 CE	Nara Vardhana
• c. 545-565 CE	Rajya Vardhana I
• c. 565-585 CE	Aditya Vardhana
• c. 585-605 CE	Prabhakara Vardhana
• 605-606 CE	Rajya Vardhana II
• 606-647 CE	Harsha Vardhana
History
• Established	c. 500
• Disestablished	c. 647 CE
Area
648 est.	1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi)
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Gupta Empire
	Alchon Huns
	Maukharis of Kannauj
	Later Gupta dynasty
	Kingdom of Gauda
Later Gupta dynasty

VisualWikitext

Latest revision as of 21:46, 22 February 2026

The Pushyabhuti dynasty (IAST: Puṣyabhūti), also known as the Vardhana dynasty, was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Thanesar in northern India during the 6th and 7th centuries. The dynasty reached its zenith under its last ruler Harsha Vardhana (c. 590 – c. 647 CE), whose empire covered much of north and north-western India, extending till Kamarupa in the east and Narmada River in the south. The dynasty initially ruled from Sthanveshvara (modern-day Thanesar, Haryana), but Harsha eventually made Kanyakubja (modern-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh) his capital, from where he ruled until 647 CE.

Etymology and origins[edit | edit source]

According to Harsha-charita, composed by the court poet Bana, the family was known as Pushyabhuti dynasty (IAST: Puṣyabhūti-vaṃśa),^[5] or Pushpabhuti dynasty (IAST: Puṣpabhūti-vaṃśa). The manuscripts of Harsha-charita use the variant "Pushpabhuti", but Georg Bühler proposed that this was a scribal error, and that the correct name was Pushyabhuti.^[6] Several modern scholars now use the form "Pushpabhuti", while others prefer the variant "Pushyabhuti".^[7]

Harshacharita by the 7th century poet Bana gives a legendary account of their origin, naming Pushyabhuti as the dynasty's founder. According to this legend, Pushyabhuti lived in the Srikantha janapada (modern Kurukshetra district), whose capital was Sthanvishvara (modern Thanesar). A devotee of Shiva, Pushyabhuti became involved in a tantric ritual at a cremation ground, under the influence of Bhairavacharya, a teacher from "the South". At the end of this ritual, a goddess (identified with Lakshmi) anointed him the king and blessed him as the founder of a great dynasty.^[8] The Pushyabhuti mentioned in Bana's account appears to be a fictional character, as he is not mentioned in the dynasty's inscriptions or any other source.^[9] The writings of Xuanzang and an 8th century Buddhist text, the Arya-manjushri-mula-kalpa suggest that the dynasty belonged to the Vaishya caste.^[10]^[11]

Geography[edit | edit source]

The empire under Prabhakaravardhana had its capital at Sthanisvara in the Kurukshetra and according to Bāṇabhaṭṭa Prabhakara was renowned for his military activities against neighbouring states.^[12] According to Xuanzang the territory of the Kingdom of Thanesar was 7000 li in circuit or over 2000 miles with the city of Thanesar itself being 20 li in circuit or over 6 miles.^[13] The kingdom of Thanesar was also noted have been called the Srikantha Janapada by Bāṇabhaṭṭa.

The zenith of the Vardhana dynasty is disputed by scholars however contemporary sources such as Xuanzang note that Harsha was the 'master of the five indies' and marched from west to east to conquer insubordinate kings during the early years of his reign.^[14] R. C. Majumdar places his core territory as containing the regions of Saurashtra, Kannauj and Orrissa with the regions of western Punjab and Kashmir giving nominal suzerainty according to C. V. Vaidya.^[15] Recent copperplate finds in Nabha contain land grants given by Harsha to a Brahmin dated to 614-615 CE.^[16]

Some modern books describe the dynasty as "Vardhana", because the names of its kings end with the suffix "-vardhana". However, this may be misleading as the names of kings of other dynasties also end with this suffix.^[5]

History[edit | edit source]

The Pushyabhuti dynasty originally ruled a small area around their capital Sthaneshvara (Thanesar). According to Hans T. Bakker, their ruler Aditya-Vardhana (or Aditya-Sena) was probably a vassal to Sharvavarman, the Maukhari king of Kannauj. His successor Prabhakaravardhana may have also been a feudatory to the Maukhari king Avanti-Varman in his early days. Prabhakara's daughter Rajyashri married Avanti-Varman's son Graha-Varman. As a result of this marriage, Prabhakara's political status increased significantly, and he assumed the sovereign title Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja. ("the one to whom the other kings bow because of his valour and affection").^[17]

The Vardhana dynasty was founded by Pushyabhuti c. 500 CE, Bāṇabhaṭṭa recalls him as a legendary figure and implies a conquest between him and the Nagas of Mathura in the land of the Surasena during the early Gupta age. This war led to his victory and the establishment of the Srikantha janapada centred in Thanesar, Bana also narrates that the janapada received its name from the name of the naga king who Pushyabhuti defeated.^[18]

All of the kings that succeeded Pushyabhuti until the reign Prabhakaravardhana bore the title of Maharaja and it has been hypothesised that they were feudatories of the Gupta Empire. It has however been noted that Adityavardhana, ruling between c. 565-585 CE, married the sister of Mahasenagupta of the Later Gupta dynasty and partook in an invasion on the banks of Lauhitya River alongside the Gauḍa king.^[19] His predecessor Naravardhana was thought to have been a feudatory under Mihirakula of the Alchon Huns, being his contemporary.^[20] Ram Shankar Tripathi in his own account states that the regions of Kullu and Kangra were under the control of the Vardhanas during the reign of Aditya and writes that they may have been feudatories under the Maukhari dynasty for assistance against the Alchon Huns.^[21]

Death of Prabhakara Vardhana[edit | edit source]

Aditya Vardhana was succeeded by Prabhakaravardhana in c. 585 CE and bore the titles of Maharajadhiraj or 'king of kings' and was known by his second name in distant regions as 'Sri Pratapasala'. Bāṇabhaṭṭa recounts him as a strong ruler having defeated and coming into political grievances with neighbouring kingdoms.^[22]

A lion to the Huna deer, a burning fever to the king of the Indus land, a troubler of sleep to the king of Gujarat, a billious plague to that scent elephant the lord of Gandhara, a looter to the lawlessness of the Latas an axe to the creeper of Malwa's glory.
— Banabhatta, Harshacharita

Seal of Harshavardhana found in Nalanda.^[23]

According to the Harshacharita, after Prabhakara's death, the king of Malava attacked Kannauj, supported by the ruler of Gauda. The Malava king killed Graha-Varman, and captured Rajyashri.^[24] Bana does not mention this king, but historians speculate him to be a ruler of the Later Gupta dynasty.^[25] Prabhakara's elder son Rajya-Vardhana defeated the Malava ruler, but was killed by the Gauda king.^[26]

The Harshacharita further states that Prabhakara's younger son Harsha-Vardhana then vowed to destroy the Gauda king and their allies. ^[27] Again, Bana does not mention the name of the Gauda king, but historians identify him with Shashanka-Deva, the ruler of Bengal (Gauda). Harsha formed an alliance with Bhaskar Varman, the king of Kamarupa, and forced Shashanka to retreat. Subsequently, in 606 CE, Harsha was formally crowned as an emperor.^[28] He captured a large part of northern India.^[29] There are different assessments of the exact extent of Harsha's empire, but he controlled major parts of northern India; his overlordship was accepted by the king of Vallabhi in the west and the Kamarupa king Bhaskaravarman in the east; in the south, his empire extended up to the Narmada River.^[30]

Harsha eventually made Kanyakubja (modern Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh) his capital,^[6] and ruled till c. 647 CE. He died without an heir, leading to the end of the Pushyabhuti dynasty.^[29]

Culture[edit | edit source]

Bāṇabhaṭṭa vividly describes the kingdom of Thanesar with large amounts of irrigation taking place using revolving water wheels for the production of Paddy, beans and wheat. The inhabitants are described by Bana as practising the traditions of Agnihotra and Yajna, being ancient fire rituals and the practise of Vrishotsarga which was the act of setting a bull free. The roadways are described as being lined with Arjuna trees and the woman wore a Kanchuka (short dress) with a flower wreath on their heads and a mesh over their face. The villages of the kingdom were also elected with 'Mahattaras' or appointed village heads.^[31]

Xuanzang states that the majority of the people pursued trade as their source of income with only few being agriculturalists. Rich families vied with each other, collecting rarities from other lands.^[32] He also notes that Buddhism was not numerous in the region with the kingdom being dominated by Shaivism, Thanesar had three buddhist monasteries compared to over one hundred Hindu temples. According to Devahuti rice was grown on the lower slopes of the Himalayas whilst sugar cane was cultivated on the eastern parts of the kingdom, milk and fruits were also plentily available.^[33]

Rulers[edit | edit source]

Lion Capital, Vardhana dynasty, Gwalior, 7th century CE.^[34]

Lion Capital on his original pillar, near Teli ka Mandir, Gwalior Fort.^[35]

The following are the known rulers of the Pushyabhuti or Vardhana dynasty, with estimated period of reign (IAST names in bracket):^[36]

List of Rulers–

List of Pushyabhuti dynasty rulers
Ruler	Reign (CE)	Notes
Pushyabhuti	~500
Nāravardhana	500–525
Rājyavardhana I	525–555
Ādityvardhana	555–580
Prabhākaravardhana	580–605
Rājyavardhana II	605–606
Harṣavardhana	606–647

References[edit | edit source]

↑ CNG Coins
↑ Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 146, map XIV.2 (d). ISBN 0226742210.
↑ Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of World-Systems Research. 12 (2): 223. doi:10.5195/JWSR.2006.369. ISSN 1076-156X.
↑ Bang, Peter Fibiger; Bayly, C. A.; Scheidel, Walter (2020). The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience. Oxford University Press. pp. 92–94. ISBN 978-0-19-977311-4.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 D. C. Ganguly 1981, p. 240.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Baijnath Sharma 1970, p. 89.
↑ Max Deeg 2016, p. 99.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, pp. 78-79.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 80.
↑ Shankar Goyal (2007). "Religious Analysis of Harsha's Personality". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 68. Indian History Congress: 137. JSTOR 44147825. This probably explains the emergence of Pushyabhuti, a Vaisya by caste and a Saiva by faith, as its ruler
↑ Y. Krishan; Indian History and Culture Society (1986). Essays in Indian History and Culture. Indian History & Culture Society. p. 167. yuan Chwang, who remained in Inda for approximately thirteen years (c. A.DD. 630-44) tells us that Harshavardhana was of 'Fe ishe'(bais) extraction. The Āryamanjuśrimulakalpa also clearly states that the Pushyabhutis belonged to the vaisya caste. According to Tripathi, the suffix ' bhūti ' additionally indicates that Pushyabhuti, the founder of the family was a vaisya
↑ Thapar, Romila (February 2004). From the Origins to AD 1300. University of California Press. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-520-24225-8.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 125. It was more than 7,000 li 'in circuit', and its capital was 20 li or so.
↑ Indian Antiquary: A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology, History, Literature, Languages, Folklore Etc. Times of India. 1878. p. 198.
↑ Mahajan, V. D. (3 January 2022). Ancient India. S. Chand Publishing. p. 474. ISBN 978-93-5283-724-3.
↑ Chauhan, G. C. (2016). "The Study of Harsha Copper-Plates: An Economic Dimention". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 97: 68. ISSN 0378-1143. JSTOR 48629581.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 79.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 130-131.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 132.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. pp. 134–135.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 139.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. pp. 132–133.
↑ Sastri, Hirananda (1931). Epigraphia Indica Vol.21. pp. 74–80.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 81.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 82.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, pp. 85-86.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 87.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 88.
↑ ^29.0 ^29.1 Sukla Das 1990, p. 2.
↑ Upinder Singh 2008, p. 562.
↑ Agrawala, V.S. "The-Deeds-Of-Harsha" (PDF). p. 78.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 125.
↑ Goyal, Shankar (1992). "History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha". pp. 124–125.
↑ Vardhana attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label of the lion capital
↑ Vardhana attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label of the lion capital
↑ Ronald M. Davidson 2012, pp. 38-39.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Baijnath Sharma (1970). Harṣa and His Times. Sushma Prakashan. OCLC 202093.
D. C. Ganguly (1981). "Western India in the Sixth Century A.D.". In R. C. Majumdar (ed.). A Comprehensive History of India. Vol. 3, Part I: A.D. 300-985. Indian History Congress / People's Publishing House. OCLC 34008529.
Hans Bakker (2014). The World of the Skandapurāṇa. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-27714-4.
Max Deeg (2016). "The Political Position of Xuanzang: The Didactic Creation of an Indian Dynasty in the Xiyu ji". In Thomas Jülch (ed.). The Middle Kingdom and the Dharma Wheel: Aspects of the Relationship between the Buddhist Saṃgha and the State in Chinese History. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-32258-5.
Ronald M. Davidson (2012). Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-50102-6.
Sukla Das (1990). Crime and Punishment in Ancient India. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-054-9.
Upinder Singh (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0.

Template:Medieval India

[1] CNG Coins

[2] Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 146, map XIV.2 (d). ISBN 0226742210.

[Turchin223-3] Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of World-Systems Research. 12 (2): 223. doi:10.5195/JWSR.2006.369. ISSN 1076-156X.

[”OxfordArea”-4] Bang, Peter Fibiger; Bayly, C. A.; Scheidel, Walter (2020). The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience. Oxford University Press. pp. 92–94. ISBN 978-0-19-977311-4.

[FOOTNOTED._C._Ganguly1981240-5] 5.0 ^5.1 D. C. Ganguly 1981, p. 240.

[FOOTNOTEBaijnath_Sharma197089-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Baijnath Sharma 1970, p. 89.

[FOOTNOTEMax_Deeg201699-7] Max Deeg 2016, p. 99.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201478-79-8] Hans Bakker 2014, pp. 78-79.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201480-9] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 80.

[Congress2007-10] Shankar Goyal (2007). "Religious Analysis of Harsha's Personality". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 68. Indian History Congress: 137. JSTOR 44147825. This probably explains the emergence of Pushyabhuti, a Vaisya by caste and a Saiva by faith, as its ruler

[KrishanSociety1986-11] Y. Krishan; Indian History and Culture Society (1986). Essays in Indian History and Culture. Indian History & Culture Society. p. 167. yuan Chwang, who remained in Inda for approximately thirteen years (c. A.DD. 630-44) tells us that Harshavardhana was of 'Fe ishe'(bais) extraction. The Āryamanjuśrimulakalpa also clearly states that the Pushyabhutis belonged to the vaisya caste. According to Tripathi, the suffix ' bhūti ' additionally indicates that Pushyabhuti, the founder of the family was a vaisya

[12] Thapar, Romila (February 2004). From the Origins to AD 1300. University of California Press. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-520-24225-8.

[13] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 125. It was more than 7,000 li 'in circuit', and its capital was 20 li or so.

[14] Indian Antiquary: A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology, History, Literature, Languages, Folklore Etc. Times of India. 1878. p. 198.

[15] Mahajan, V. D. (3 January 2022). Ancient India. S. Chand Publishing. p. 474. ISBN 978-93-5283-724-3.

[16] Chauhan, G. C. (2016). "The Study of Harsha Copper-Plates: An Economic Dimention". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 97: 68. ISSN 0378-1143. JSTOR 48629581.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201479-17] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 79.

[18] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 130-131.

[19] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 132.

[20] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. pp. 134–135.

[21] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 139.

[22] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. pp. 132–133.

[23] Sastri, Hirananda (1931). Epigraphia Indica Vol.21. pp. 74–80.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201481-24] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 81.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201482-25] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 82.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201485-86-26] Hans Bakker 2014, pp. 85-86.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201487-27] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 87.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201488-28] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 88.

[FOOTNOTESukla_Das19902-29] 29.0 ^29.1 Sukla Das 1990, p. 2.

[FOOTNOTEUpinder_Singh2008562-30] Upinder Singh 2008, p. 562.

[31] Agrawala, V.S. "The-Deeds-Of-Harsha" (PDF). p. 78.

[32] Goyal, Shankar (1992). History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha. p. 125.

[33] Goyal, Shankar (1992). "History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha". pp. 124–125.

[34] Vardhana attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label of the lion capital

[35] Vardhana attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label of the lion capital

[FOOTNOTERonald_M._Davidson201238-39-36] Ronald M. Davidson 2012, pp. 38-39.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Classical Indian dynasty (c.500–647 CE)}}
-{{use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
+{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
-{{Use Indian English|date=November 2016}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
+{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
 {{Infobox country
-| common_name = Pushyabhuti dynasty
+| common_name            = Pushyabhuti dynasty
-| conventional_long_name = Pushyabhuti dynasty<br />(Vardhana dynasty)
+| conventional_long_name = Pushyabhuti dynasty<br />{{small|(Vardhana dynasty)}}
-|image_map   =
+| image_map              = {{Location map+
-{{Location map+
 |South Asia
 |overlay_image= Map of the Pushyabhutis.png
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 |relief=yes
 |places     =
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|230|5|South-Asia<br />600–650 CE|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=10|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|230|5|[[AD 600|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">South-Asia<br />600–650 CE</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=10|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|105|[[Pratiharas of Mandavyapura|PRATIHARAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|105|[[Pratiharas of Mandavyapura|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">PRATIHARAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|180|[[Pallava dynasty|PALLAVAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|180|[[Pallava dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">PALLAVAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|115|225|[[Pandyan dynasty|PANDYAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|115|225|[[Pandyan dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">PANDYAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|200|[[Chola dynasty|CHOLAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|200|[[Chola dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHOLAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|105|210|[[Chera dynasty|CHERAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|105|210|[[Chera dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHERAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|34|[[Nezak Huns|NEZAK<br>HUNS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|34|[[Nezak Huns|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#006400FF">NEZAK<br />HUNS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|150|160|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty|KALINGAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|150|160|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">KALINGAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|90|60|[[Taank Kingdom|TAANK]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|30|15|[[Tokhara Yabghus|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#006400FF">TOKHARA<br />YABGHUS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|30|15|[[Tokhara Yabghus|TOKHARA<br>YABGHUS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|1|1|[[Western Turkic Khaganate|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#006400FF">WESTERN TURKS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|1|1|[[Western Turkic Khaganate|WESTERN TURKS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|90|25|[[Patola Shahis|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">PATOLAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|90|25|[[Patola Shahis|PATOLAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|100|40|[[Karkota dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">KARKOTAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|100|40|[[Karkota dynasty|KARKOTAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|180|45|[[Tibetan Empire|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">TIBETAN<br/>EMPIRE</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|180|45|[[Tibetan Empire|TIBETAN<br/>EMPIRE]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|160|2|[[Tocharians|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#006400FF">TOCHARIANS</span>]]|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|65|130|[[Maitrakas|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">MAITRAKAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|65|130|[[Maitrakas|MAITRAKAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|145|135|[[Kalachuris of Tripuri|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">KALACHURIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|145|135|[[Kalachuris of Tripuri|KALACHURIS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|55|90|[[Brahmin dynasty of Sindh|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHACHAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|55|90|[[Brahmin dynasty of Sindh|CHACHAS]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|95|160|[[Chalukya dynasty|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHALUKYAS</span>]]|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|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#006400FF">SASANIAN<br />EMPIRE</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|text-align=center|5|55|[[Sasanian Empire|SASANIAN<br>EMPIRE]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|262|250|[[Template:South Asia in 500 CE|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ◁  </span>]] [[Template:South Asia in 800 CE|<span class="mw-no-invert" span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ▷ </span>]]|text-align=center|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=12|color=#000000}}
-{{Annotation|262|250|[[Template:South Asia in 500 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ◁  </span>]] [[Template:South Asia in 800 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ▷ </span>]]|text-align=center|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=12|color=#000000}}
+|caption={{center|Map of the Pushyabhutis at their zenith, {{Circa|600}}-650 CE, and neighbouring polities.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |page=146, map XIV.2 (d)|isbn=0226742210 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/reference/schwartzberg/query.py?display_type=image_display&object=183#gsc.tab=0}}</ref>}}
-|caption={{center|Map of the Pushyabhutis at their zenith, {{Circa|600}}-650 CE, forming the "[[Harshavardhana|Empire of Harsha]]", and neighbouring polities.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |page=146, map XIV.2 (d)|isbn=0226742210 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=183}}</ref>}}
 }}
-|image_coat             = Harshavardhana Circa AD 606-647.jpg
+| image_coat             = Harshavardhana Circa AD 606-647.jpg
-|coa_size               = 290px
+| coa_size               = 290px
-|symbol_type            =Coin of [[Harshavardhana]], {{Circa|606}}–647 CE. ''Obverse'': portrait of Harshavardhana with a crescent over the head. ''Reverse'': Fan-tailed [[Garuda]] standing facing.<ref>[https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=261204 CNG Coins]</ref>
+| symbol_type            = Coin of [[Harshavardhana]], {{Circa|606}}–647 CE. ''Obverse'': portrait of Harshavardhana with a crescent over the head. ''Reverse'': Fan-tailed [[Garuda]] standing facing.<ref>[https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=261204 CNG Coins]</ref>
-| image_map_caption =
+| image_map_caption      =
-| year_start = c. 500
+| year_leader1           = c. 500-525 CE
-| year_end = {{Circa|647 CE}}
+| leader1                = Pushyabhuti
-| capital = Sthanvishvara (modern [[Thanesar]])<br />Kanyakubja (modern [[Kannauj]])
+| year_leader2           = c. 525-545 CE
-| government_type = Monarchy
+| leader2                = Nara Vardhana
-| p1 = Gupta Empire
+| year_leader3           = c. 545-565 CE
-| flag_p1=Map_of_the_Gupta_Empire.png
+| leader3                = Rajya Vardhana I
-| p5 = Later Gupta dynasty
+| year_leader4           = c. 565-585 CE
-| flag_p5 = Map of the Later Guptas.jpg
+| leader4                = [[Adityavardhana|Aditya Vardhana]]
-| p2 = Alchon Huns
+| year_leader5           = c. 585-605 CE
-| flag_p2 = Alchon_Tamga.png
+| leader5                = [[Prabhakaravardhana|Prabhakara Vardhana]]
-| p3 = Gauda Kingdom
+| year_leader6           = 605-606 CE
-| flag_p3 = Map_of_the_Shashankas.png
+| leader6                = [[Rajyavardhana|Rajya Vardhana II]]
-| p4 = Maukhari dynasty
+| year_leader7           = 606-647 CE
-| flag_p4 = Map_of_the_Maukharis.png
+| leader7                = [[Harsha|Harsha Vardhana]]
-| s1 = Varman dynasty of Kannauj
+| year_start             = c. 500
-| flag_s1 = Map_of_the_Varmans.png
+| year_end               = {{Circa|647 CE}}
-| s3=Chalukya dynasty
+| capital                = Sthanvishvara (modern [[Thanesar]])<br />Kanyakubja (modern [[Kannauj]])
-| flag_s3 = Badami-chalukya-empire-map.svg
+| government_type        = Monarchy
-|demonym=|area_km2=|area_rank=|GDP_PPP=|GDP_PPP_year=|HDI=|HDI_year=|today=}}
+| leader_name5           = [[Prabhakaravardhana|Prabhakara Vardhana]]
-The '''Pushyabhuti dynasty''' ([[IAST]]: Puṣyabhūti), also known as the '''Vardhana dynasty''', was ruling dynasty in northern India during the 6th and 7th centuries. The dynasty reached its zenith under its last ruler [[Harshavardhana|Harsha Vardhana]] ({{Circa|590|647 CE}}), and the '''Empire of Harsha''' covered much of north and north-western India, extending till [[Kamarupa]] in the east and [[Narmada River]] in the south. The dynasty initially ruled from [[Thanesar|Sthanveshvara]] (in modern [[Kurukshetra district]], [[Haryana]]), but Harsha eventually made Kanyakubja (modern [[Kannauj]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]) his capital, from where he ruled until 647 CE.
+| p1                     = Gupta Empire
+| p5                     = Kingdom of Gauda
+| p2                     = Alchon Huns
+| p3                     = Maukharis of Kannauj
+| p4                     = Later Gupta dynasty
+| s1                     = Later Gupta dynasty
+| today                  =
+| stat_year1             = 648 est.
+| stat_area1             = 1000000
+| ref_area1              = <ref name="Turchin223">{{Cite journal |last1=Turchin |first1=Peter |last2=Adams |first2=Jonathan M. |last3=Hall |first3=Thomas D |date=December 2006 |title=East-West Orientation of Historical Empires |journal=Journal of World-Systems Research |volume=12 |issue=2 |page=223 |issn=1076-156X |doi=10.5195/JWSR.2006.369|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=”OxfordArea”>{{Cite book|last1=Bang|first1=Peter Fibiger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mkLEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA92|title=The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience|last2=Bayly|first2=C. A.|last3=Scheidel|first3=Walter|year=2020|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-977311-4|pages=92–94|language=en}}</ref>
+}}
+The '''Pushyabhuti dynasty''' ([[IAST]]: Puṣyabhūti), also known as the '''Vardhana dynasty''', was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Thanesar in northern India during the 6th and 7th centuries. The dynasty reached its zenith under its last ruler [[Harsha|Harsha Vardhana]] ({{Circa|590|647 CE}}), whose empire covered much of north and north-western India, extending till [[Kamarupa]] in the east and [[Narmada River]] in the south. The dynasty initially ruled from [[Thanesar|Sthanveshvara]] (modern-day Thanesar, [[Haryana]]), but Harsha eventually made Kanyakubja (modern-day [[Kannauj]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]) his capital, from where he ruled until 647 CE.
-== Etymology and name ==
+== Etymology and origins ==
 According to ''[[Harshacharita|Harsha-charita]]'', composed by the court poet [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa|Bana]], the family was known as Pushyabhuti dynasty ([[IAST]]: Puṣyabhūti-vaṃśa),{{sfn|D. C. Ganguly|1981|p=240}} or Pushpabhuti dynasty ([[IAST]]: Puṣpabhūti-vaṃśa). The manuscripts of ''Harsha-charita'' use the variant "Pushpabhuti", but [[Georg Bühler]] proposed that this was a scribal error, and that the correct name was Pushyabhuti.{{sfn|Baijnath Sharma|1970|p=89}} Several modern scholars now use the form "Pushpabhuti", while others prefer the variant "Pushyabhuti".{{sfn|Max Deeg|2016|p=99}}
+''[[Harshacharita]]'' by the 7th century poet [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa|Bana]] gives a legendary account of their origin, naming Pushyabhuti as the dynasty's founder. According to this legend, Pushyabhuti lived in the Srikantha [[janapada]] (modern [[Kurukshetra district]]), whose capital was Sthanvishvara (modern [[Thanesar]]). A devotee of [[Shiva]], Pushyabhuti became involved in a [[tantra|tantric]] ritual at a cremation ground, under the influence of Bhairavacharya, a teacher from "the South". At the end of this ritual, a goddess (identified with [[Lakshmi]]) anointed him the king and blessed him as the founder of a great dynasty.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|pp=78-79}} The Pushyabhuti mentioned in Bana's account appears to be a fictional character, as he is not mentioned in the dynasty's inscriptions or any other source.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=80}} The writings of [[Xuanzang]] and an 8th century Buddhist text, the ''[[Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa|Arya-manjushri-mula-kalpa]]'' suggest that the dynasty belonged to the [[Vaishya]] caste.<ref name="Congress2007">{{cite journal |author=Shankar Goyal |year=2007 |title=Religious Analysis of Harsha's Personality |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |publisher=Indian History Congress |volume=68 |page=137 |jstor=44147825 |quote=This probably explains the emergence of Pushyabhuti, a Vaisya by caste and a Saiva by faith, as its ruler}}</ref><ref name="KrishanSociety1986">{{cite book |author1=Y. Krishan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EhS2AAAAIAAJ |title=Essays in Indian History and Culture |author2=Indian History and Culture Society |publisher=Indian History & Culture Society |year=1986 |page=167 |quote=yuan Chwang, who remained in Inda for approximately thirteen years (c. A.DD. 630-44) tells us that Harshavardhana was of 'Fe ishe'(bais) extraction. The Āryamanjuśrimulakalpa also clearly states that the Pushyabhutis belonged to the vaisya caste. According to Tripathi, the suffix ' bhūti ' additionally indicates that Pushyabhuti, the founder of the family was a vaisya}}</ref>
+== Geography ==
+The empire under [[Prabhakaravardhana]] had its capital at [[Thanesar|Sthanisvara]] in the [[Kurukshetra]] and according to [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa]] Prabhakara was renowned for his military activities against neighbouring states.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thapar |first=Romila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5irrXX0apQC&dq=banabhatta+lion+to+the+huna+deer&pg=PA288 |title=From the Origins to AD 1300 |date= February 2004|publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24225-8 |page=288 |language=en}}</ref> According to [[Xuanzang]] the territory of the Kingdom of [[Thanesar]] was 7000 [[Li (unit)|li]] in circuit or over 2000 miles with the city of Thanesar itself being 20 li in circuit or over 6 miles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n139/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |page=125 |quote=It was more than 7,000 li 'in circuit', and its capital was 20 li or so.}}</ref> The kingdom of [[Thanesar]] was also noted have been called the Srikantha Janapada by [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa]].
+The zenith of the Vardhana dynasty is disputed by scholars however contemporary sources such as [[Xuanzang]] note that [[Harsha]] was the 'master of the five indies' and marched from west to east to conquer insubordinate kings during the early years of his reign.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2CLRqpfg3EC&dq=harsha+master+of+the+five+indies&pg=PA198 |title=Indian Antiquary: A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology, History, Literature, Languages, Folklore Etc |date=1878 |publisher=Times of India |page=198 |language=en}}</ref> [[R. C. Majumdar]] places his core territory as containing the regions of [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]], [[Kannauj]] and [[Orrissa]] with the regions of western [[Punjab]] and [[Kashmir]] giving nominal suzerainty according to [[C. V. Vaidya]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mahajan |first=V. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eljzDwAAQBAJ&dq=r.c.+majumdar+harshavardhana&pg=PA473 |title=Ancient India |date=3 January 2022 |publisher=S. Chand Publishing |isbn=978-93-5283-724-3 |page=474 |language=en}}</ref> Recent copperplate finds in [[Nabha]] contain land grants given by [[Harsha]] to a [[Brahmin]] dated to 614-615 CE.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chauhan |first=G. C. |date=2016 |title=The Study of Harsha Copper-Plates: An Economic Dimention |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48629581?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents |journal=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute |volume=97 |page=68 |jstor=48629581 |issn=0378-1143}}</ref>
 Some modern books describe the dynasty as "Vardhana", because the names of its kings end with the suffix "-vardhana". However, this may be misleading as the names of kings of other dynasties also end with this suffix.{{sfn|D. C. Ganguly|1981|p=240}}
-== Origins ==
+== History ==
-No concrete information is available about the origins of the dynasty. ''[[Harshacharita]]'' by the 7th century poet [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa|Bana]] gives a legendary account of their origin, naming Pushyabhuti as the dynasty's founder. According to this legend, Pushyabhuti lived in the Srikantha [[janapada]] (modern [[Kurukshetra district]]), whose capital was Sthanvishvara (modern [[Thanesar]]). A devotee of [[Shiva]], Pushyabhuti became involved in a [[tantra|tantric]] ritual at a cremation ground, under the influence of Bhairavacharya, a teacher from "the South". At the end of this ritual, a goddess (identified with [[Lakshmi]]) anointed him the king and blessed him as the founder of a great dynasty.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|pp=78-79}} The Pushyabhuti mentioned in Bana's account appears to be a fictional character, as he is not mentioned in the dynasty's inscriptions or any other source.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=80}}
+The Pushyabhuti dynasty originally ruled a small area around their capital Sthaneshvara ([[Thanesar]]). According to [[Hans T. Bakker]], their ruler Aditya-Vardhana (or Aditya-Sena) was probably a vassal to [[Sharvavarman]], the [[Maukharis of Kannauj|Maukhari]] king of [[Kannauj]]. His successor [[Prabhakaravardhana]] may have also been a feudatory to the Maukhari king Avanti-Varman in his early days. Prabhakara's daughter Rajyashri married Avanti-Varman's son Graha-Varman. As a result of this marriage, Prabhakara's political status increased significantly, and he assumed the sovereign title ''Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja''. ("the one to whom the other kings bow because of his valour and affection").{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=79}}
+The Vardhana dynasty was founded by Pushyabhuti c. 500 CE, [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa]] recalls him as a legendary figure and implies a conquest between him and the Nagas of [[Mathura]] in the land of the [[Surasena]] during the [[Gupta Empire|early Gupta age]]. This war led to his victory and the establishment of the Srikantha janapada centred in [[Thanesar]], Bana also narrates that the janapada received its name from the name of the naga king who Pushyabhuti defeated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n145/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |page=130-131}}</ref>
-During Prabhakarvardhan's rule this dynasty became prominent. His son Harshvardhan further expand Vardhan kingdom in his rule.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Itihas Va Nagarikshastra Iyatta Sahavi |publisher=Maharashtra rajya pathyapustak nirmiti va abhyaskram sanshodhak mandal, [[Pune]] |year=2021 |edition=5th |location=Mudra vibhag, Pathyapustak madal, Pune, India |page=39 |language=mr |trans-title=History and Sociology class sixth |script-chapter=mr: ८. मोर्य समर्ज्यानंतरची राज्ये |trans-chapter=8. Kingdoms after Maurya empire}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=A government school textbook is not a great source when more scholarly sources exist|date=March 2023}}
+All of the kings that succeeded Pushyabhuti until the reign [[Prabhakaravardhana]] bore the title of [[Maharaja]] and it has been hypothesised that they were feudatories of the [[Gupta Empire]]. It has however been noted that [[Adityavardhana]], ruling between c. 565-585 CE, married the sister of [[Mahasenagupta]] of the [[Later Gupta dynasty]] and partook in an invasion on the banks of [[Lauhitya River]] alongside the [[Gauḍa (city)|Gauḍa]] king.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n145/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |pages=132}}</ref> His predecessor Naravardhana was thought to have been a feudatory under [[Mihirakula]] of the [[Alchon Huns]], being his contemporary.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n149/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |pages=134–135}}</ref> [[Ram Shankar Tripathi]] in his own account states that the regions of [[Kullu district|Kullu]] and [[Kangra district|Kangra]] were under the control of the Vardhanas during the reign of Aditya and writes that they may have been feudatories under the Maukhari dynasty for assistance against the [[Alchon Huns]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n153/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |page=139}}</ref>
-The writings of [[Xuanzang]] and an 8th century Buddhist text, the ''[[Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa|Arya-manjushri-mula-kalpa]]'' suggest that the dynasty belonged to the [[Vaishya]] caste.<ref name="Congress2007">{{cite journal|author=Shankar Goyal|title=Religious Analysis of Harsha's Personality |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=68 |page=137|jstor=44147825|year=2007|publisher=Indian History Congress|quote=This probably explains the emergence of Pushyabhuti , a Vaisya by caste and a Saiva by faith , as its ruler}}</ref><ref name="KrishanSociety1986">{{cite book|author1=Y. Krishan|author2=Indian History and Culture Society|title=Essays in Indian History and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EhS2AAAAIAAJ|year=1986|publisher=Indian History & Culture Society|quote=yuan Chwang, who remained in Inda for approximately thirteen years (c. A.DD. 630-44) tells us that Harshavardhana was of 'Fe ishe'(bais) extraction. The Āryamanjuśrimulakalpa also clearly states that the Pushyabhutis belonged to the vaisya caste. According to Tripathi , the suffix ' bhūti ' additionally indicates that Pushyabhuti , the founder of the family was a vaisya|page=167}}</ref>
+=== Death of Prabhakara Vardhana ===
+Aditya Vardhana was succeeded by [[Prabhakaravardhana]] in c. 585 CE and bore the titles of [[Maharajadhiraj]] or 'king of kings' and was known by his second name in distant regions as 'Sri Pratapasala'. [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa]] recounts him as a strong ruler having defeated and coming into political grievances with neighbouring kingdoms.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n145/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |pages=132–133}}</ref>
-== History ==
+{{Quote|text=A lion to the Huna deer, a burning fever to the king of the Indus land, a troubler of sleep to the king of Gujarat, a billious plague to that scent elephant the lord of Gandhara, a looter to the lawlessness of the Latas an axe to the creeper of Malwa's glory.|author=[[Banabhatta]]|title=[[Harshacharita]]}}
-[[File:Indian Stone Statue- Female Bust, Vardhana, 7th Century CE.jpg|thumb|Female Bust, Gwalior, Madhy Pradesh. Vardhana dynasty, 7th Century CE.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nath |first1=Amarendra |title=Reflections of Indian Consciousness |date=2008 |publisher=National Museum |isbn=978-81-85832-26-5 |page=55 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vUF6zmiao7IC |language=en|quote="Female bust Vardhana , 7th Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh Stone , 67 x 41x 27 cm Acc . No. 51.97 National Museum , New Delhi The present sculpture is a surviving upper portion of a female figure from Gwalior region."}}</ref>]]
-The Pushyabhuti dynasty originally ruled a small area around their capital Sthaneshvara ([[Thanesar]]). According to [[Hans T. Bakker]], their ruler Aditya-Vardhana (or Aditya-Sena) was probably a feudatory to [[Sharva-varman]], the [[Maukhari]] king of [[Kannauj]]. His successor [[Prabhakaravardhana|Prabhakara-Vardhana]] may have also been a feudatory to the Maukhari king Avanti-Varman in his early days. Prabhakara's daughter Rajyashri married Avanti-Varman's son Graha-Varman. 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}}
 [[File:Seal of Harshavardhana found in Nalanda.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Seal of [[Harshavardhana]] found in [[Nalanda]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sastri |first1=Hirananda |title=Epigraphia Indica Vol.21 |date=1931 |pages=74–80 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56981/page/n104/mode/1up}}</ref>]]
 According to the ''Harshacharita'', after Prabhakara's death, the king of [[Malwa|Malava]] attacked Kannauj, supported by the ruler of [[Gauḍa (region)|Gauda]]. The Malava king killed Graha-Varman, and captured Rajyashri.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=81}} Bana does not mention this king, but historians speculate him to be a ruler of the [[Later Gupta dynasty]].{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=82}} Prabhakara's elder son [[Rajyavardhana|Rajya-Vardhana]] defeated the Malava ruler, but was killed by the Gauda king.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|pp=85-86}}
-The ''Harshacharita'' further states that Prabhakara's younger son [[Harshavardhana|Harsha-Vardhana]] then vowed to destroy the Gauda king and their allies. {{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=87}} Again, Bana does not mention the name of the Gauda king, but historians identify him with [[Shashanka|Shashanka-Deva]], the ruler of Bengal ([[Gauda Kingdom|Gauda]]). Harsha formed an alliance with [[Bhaskar Varman]], the king of [[Kamarupa]], and forced Shashanka to retreat. Subsequently, in 606 CE, Harsha was formally crowned as an emperor.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=88}} He captured a large part of northern India (see the [[Empire of Harsha]]).{{sfn|Sukla Das|1990|p=2}} There are different assessments of the exact extent of Harsha's empire, but he controlled major parts of northern India; his overlordship was accepted by the [[Maitraka dynasty|king of Vallabhi]] in the west and the [[Kamarupa]] king [[Bhaskaravarman]] in the east; in the south, his empire extended up to the [[Narmada River]].{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2008|p=562}}
+The ''Harshacharita'' further states that Prabhakara's younger son [[Harshavardhana|Harsha-Vardhana]] then vowed to destroy the Gauda king and their allies. {{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=87}} Again, Bana does not mention the name of the Gauda king, but historians identify him with [[Shashanka|Shashanka-Deva]], the ruler of Bengal ([[Gauda Kingdom|Gauda]]). Harsha formed an alliance with [[Bhaskar Varman]], the king of [[Kamarupa]], and forced Shashanka to retreat. Subsequently, in 606 CE, Harsha was formally crowned as an emperor.{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=88}} He captured a large part of northern India.{{sfn|Sukla Das|1990|p=2}} There are different assessments of the exact extent of Harsha's empire, but he controlled major parts of northern India; his overlordship was accepted by the [[Maitraka dynasty|king of Vallabhi]] in the west and the [[Kamarupa]] king [[Bhaskaravarman]] in the east; in the south, his empire extended up to the [[Narmada River]].{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2008|p=562}}
 Harsha eventually made Kanyakubja (modern [[Kannauj]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]]) his capital,{{sfn|Baijnath Sharma|1970|p=89}} and ruled till c. 647 CE. He died without an heir, leading to the end of the Pushyabhuti dynasty.{{sfn|Sukla Das|1990|p=2}}
+== Culture ==
+[[Bāṇabhaṭṭa]] vividly describes the kingdom of Thanesar with large amounts of irrigation taking place using revolving water wheels for the production of Paddy, beans and wheat. The inhabitants are described by Bana as practising the traditions of [[Agnihotra]] and [[Yajna]], being ancient fire rituals and the practise of Vrishotsarga which was the act of setting a bull free. The roadways are described as being lined with [[Arjuna tree|Arjuna trees]] and the woman wore a [[Kanchuka]] (short dress) with a flower wreath on their heads and a mesh over their face. The villages of the kingdom were also elected with 'Mahattaras' or appointed village heads.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agrawala |first=V.S. |title=The-Deeds-Of-Harsha |url=https://ia601507.us.archive.org/35/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.119540/2015.119540.The-Deeds-Of-Harsha.pdf |page=78}}</ref>
+[[Xuanzang]] states that the majority of the people pursued trade as their source of income with only few being agriculturalists. Rich families vied with each other, collecting rarities from other lands.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n139/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |page=125}}</ref> He also notes that [[Buddhism]] was not numerous in the region with the kingdom being dominated by [[Shaivism]], [[Thanesar]] had three buddhist monasteries compared to over one hundred Hindu temples.  According to [[Devahuti]] rice was grown on the lower slopes of the [[Himalayas]] whilst sugar cane was cultivated on the eastern parts of the kingdom, milk and fruits were also plentily available.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goyal |first=Shankar |title=History And Historiography Of The Age Of Harsha |date=1992 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119332/page/n139/mode/2up?view=theater&q=li |pages=124–125}}</ref>
 == Rulers ==
-[[File:Indian Stone Statue- Lion Capital, Vardhana 7th Century CE Gwalior.jpg|thumb|Lion Capital, Vardhana dynasty, Gwalior, 7th Century CE.<ref>[[Vardhana]] attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label [[:File:Indian_Stone_Statue-_Lion_Capital,_Vardhana_7th_Century_CE_Gwalior.jpg|of the lion capital]]</ref>]]
+[[File:Indian Stone Statue- Lion Capital, Vardhana 7th Century CE Gwalior.jpg|thumb|Lion Capital, Vardhana dynasty, Gwalior, 7th century CE.<ref>[[Vardhana]] attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label [[:File:Indian_Stone_Statue-_Lion_Capital,_Vardhana_7th_Century_CE_Gwalior.jpg|of the lion capital]]</ref>]]
 [[File:Sculptures near Teli Mandir, Gwalior Fort.jpg|thumb|Lion Capital on his original pillar, near [[Teli ka Mandir]], [[Gwalior Fort]].<ref>[[Vardhana]] attribution by the Indian Museum in New Delhi, see label [[:File:Indian_Stone_Statue-_Lion_Capital,_Vardhana_7th_Century_CE_Gwalior.jpg|of the lion capital]]</ref>]]
 The following are the known rulers of the Pushyabhuti or Vardhana dynasty, with estimated period of reign ([[IAST]] names in bracket):{{sfn|Ronald M. Davidson|2012|pp=38-39}}
@@ Line 137: / Line 160: @@
 === Bibliography ===
-{{ref begin}}
+{{refbegin}}
 * {{cite book |author=Baijnath Sharma |title=Harṣa and His Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q5QBAAAAMAAJ |year=1970 |publisher=Sushma Prakashan |oclc=202093 }}
 * {{cite book |author=D. C. Ganguly |chapter=Western India in the Sixth Century A.D.|editor=R. C. Majumdar |editor-link=R. C. Majumdar |title=A Comprehensive History of India |volume=3, Part I: A.D. 300-985 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mRBuAAAAMAAJ |year=1981 |publisher=Indian History Congress / People's Publishing House |oclc=34008529 }}
@@ Line 145: / Line 168: @@
 * {{cite book |author=Sukla Das |title=Crime and Punishment in Ancient India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQa43r1GyicC |year=1990 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-054-9 }}
 * {{cite book |author=Upinder Singh |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&pg=PA562 |year=2008 |publisher=Pearson Education India |isbn=978-81-317-1120-0 }}
-{{ref end}}
+{{refend}}
+{{Medieval India}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:Pushyabhuti dynasty| ]]
 [[Category:States and territories established in the 6th century]]
 [[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 7th century]]
-[[Category:6th-century establishments in Nepal]]
+[[Category:6th-century establishments in India]]