Pushyabhuti dynasty

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]

The empire under Prabhakaravardhana had its capital at Sthanisvara in the Kurukshetra district of Eastern Punjab and according to Bāṇabhaṭṭa Prabhakara was renowned for his military activities against neighbouring states.^[12]

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

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.^[13] 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.^[14] Recent copperplate finds in the Eastern Punjab in the town of Nabha contain land grants given by Harsha to a Brahman dated to 614-615 CE.^[15]

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 Sharva-varman, the Maukhari king of Kannauj. His successor 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 sovereign title Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja. ("the one to whom the other kings bow because of his valour and affection").^[16]

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.^[18] Bana does not mention this king, but historians speculate him to be a ruler of the Later Gupta dynasty.^[19] Prabhakara's elder son Rajya-Vardhana defeated the Malava ruler, but was killed by the Gauda king.^[20]

The Harshacharita further states that Prabhakara's younger son Harsha-Vardhana then vowed to destroy the Gauda king and their allies. ^[21] 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.^[22] He captured a large part of northern India.^[23] 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.^[24]

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.^[23]

The following are the known rulers of the Pushyabhuti or Vardhana dynasty, with estimated period of reign (IAST names in bracket):^[27]

List of Rulers–

• Middle kingdoms of India
• List of Hindu empires and dynasties