- Decline of Guptas led to a void in the power struggle in India. Later rise of feudatories of early Guptas like Pushyabhutis and Palas of Bengal filled this void.
- The Pushyabhuti Dynasty, also known as the Vardhana Empire, was a rather short- lived dynasty in northern India. It began 500 AD and lasted only until 647 AD, a blink of the eye when considering all of history. The center of the kingdom was in the state of Haryana, as was its capital city, Thaneshvara. Harshacharita by the 7th century poet Bana gives a legendary account of their origin, naming Pushyabhuti as the dynasty’s founder.
- When Harsha started the rule, he changed his capital to Kanauj, Though he was successful in his campaigns in North India, his expedition to the south of Narmada ended bad. Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II, Chalukyan ruler mentions the defeat of Harsha by Pulakesin II, who later assumed title Parameswara.
- The famous Chinese traveler Huien Tsang visited India during the reign of Harsha. It was Huien Tsang who converted Harsha to Mahayana Buddhism. Harsha organized famous Kanauj Assembly to honour Huien Tsang.
- Harshas administration was similar to that of Mauryan Age. There was maintenance of administration archives called as ‘nilopitu.
- Harsha is widely believed to be the author of three Sanskrit plays Ratnavali, Nagananda and Priyadarsika.
- Palas of Bengal were another prominent power of these times. The Palas were astute diplomats and military conquerors. Their army was noted for its vast war elephant corps. Their navy performed both mercantile and defensive roles in the Bay of Bengal. They built grand temples and monasteries, including the Somapura Mahavihara, and patronised the great universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila. The empire reached its peak under Emperors Dharmapala and Devapala. Pala control of North India was ultimately ephemeral, as they struggled with the Gurjara-Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas for the control of Kannauj and were defeated. The resurgent Hindu Sena dynasty dethroned the Pala Empire in the 12th century, ending the reign of the last major Buddhist imperial power in the Indian subcontinent. The Pala period is considered one of the golden eras of Bengali history. They laid the basis for the Bengali language, including its first literary work, the Charyapada. The Pala legacy is still reflected in Tibetan Buddhism.
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