Conquests · Part 2

powerful Guptas. It was restricted only to the central part of the Gangetic plain between Pataliputra and Mathura. Beyond that zone, there was no centralised authority. The only difference between Guptas and Vardhanas is that the former had formidable enemies like Huns, while the latter had no such opponents. The copper plates of CE record a gift of land to two Brahmans. The names of certain political personages with state power, as protectors of the gift, are mentioned in them. Some were mahasamantas , allied to the king but of a subordinate status. Others were independent maharajas but acknowledged feudatories of Harsha. There was yet another category of rulers who pledged their loyalty to Harsha and professed to be at his service. This is the characteristic of Harsha’s imperial authority in North India. Harsha’s immediate task was to take revenge on Sasanka. Harsha entered into an alliance with the king of Kamarupa (Pragiyaotisha), which is today the modern Assam. But there is hardly any detail of the war between Harsha and Sasanka. However, Harsha seems to have successfully subjugated the Gauda Empire, which included Magatha, Gouda, Odra and Kongoda only after the death of Sasanka. Coins of Sasanka The hostilities between Harsha and the Maithrakas ended in the marriage of Dhruvabhatta with the daughter of Harsha. Soon, Valabhi became a subordinate ally of Harsha. Pulikesin II, the Chalukya King Harsha sought to extend his authority southward into the Deccan. However the Chalukya king Pulikesin II, who controlled the region, humbled Harsha. In commemoration of his victory over Harsha, Pulikesin assumed the title of “Parameswara”. Inscriptions in Pulikesin’s capital Vatapi attest to this victory. Pulikesin II (modern representation) XI History - Lesson - - Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms BAY OF BENGAL ARABIAN SEA I N D I A N O C E A N N S W E L a k s h a d w e e p i s l a n d s ( I N D I A ) A n d a m a n a n d n i