UPSC CORE GEOGRAPHY · NCERT · SHARMA CH 23-30: EASTERN INDIA + HARSHA + PALLAVA-CHOLA + FEUDALISM + ASIAN OUTREACH
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How did Harsha become emperor at age 16?
Born ~590 CE; PUSHYABHUTI dynasty of THANESAR (modern Haryana). His elder brother RAJYAVARDHANA was MURDERED by SHASHANKA (king of Gauda/Bengal) ~605 CE; Rajyavardhana had earlier succeeded their father Prabhakaravardhana. The 16-year-old Harsha avenged his brother, united the THANESAR + KANNAUJ thrones (Kannauj inherited from his sister Rajyashri's in-laws — Maukhari king Grahavarman); ruled 41 years (606-647 CE).
Harsha's defeat at the Narmada (~635 CE)?
Harsha attempted to extend his empire SOUTHWARD; the CHALUKYA king PULAKESHIN II of BADAMI (Vatapi) DECISIVELY DEFEATED him at the NARMADA river (~635 CE). Pulakeshin's "AIHOLE INSCRIPTION" (composed by his court poet RAVIKIRTI) celebrates this victory + calls Pulakeshin "LORD OF THE THREE SEAS" (Arabian, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean). MARKED the LIMIT of Harsha's empire — he never crossed the Narmada again.
Harsha's 5-year Prayag Mahamoksha Parishad?
EVERY 5 YEARS Harsha distributed his entire treasury at PRAYAG (Allahabad, at the GANGA-YAMUNA SANGAM) at the MAHAMOKSHA PARISHAD — a religious assembly. Per Hiuen-Tsang: at his last 6th assembly (~643 CE), Harsha distributed 5 years of accumulated revenue + treasury to monks, priests, the poor; took off his royal jewels + dressed simply at the end. Generosity-based monarchy.
BANABHATTA — what did he write?
BANABHATTA was Harsha's court poet + biographer. Wrote: (i) HARSHACHARITA — Sanskrit BIOGRAPHY of Harsha's early life + accession; FIRST PROPER historical biography in Sanskrit; (ii) KADAMBARI — a Sanskrit ROMANCE; one of the earliest novels in any language. Both works are stylistic milestones in Sanskrit literature.
HIUEN-TSANG's observations on Harsha?
Chinese Buddhist monk HIUEN-TSANG (Xuanzang) visited India 630-643 CE; spent ~13 years in India + 5 years studying at NALANDA. Praised Harsha as a great + just ruler; described his court at KANNAUJ; attended KANYAKUBJA (Kannauj) ASSEMBLY 643 CE — 18 days of religious debate; 20 KINGS, 1000 BUDDHIST MONKS, 500 BRAHMINS attended. Hiuen-Tsang's "RECORDS OF THE WESTERN REGIONS" (Si-yu-ki) — among the most detailed accounts of 7th-century India.
Harsha's plays + religious patronage?
Harsha himself wrote 3 SANSKRIT PLAYS: (i) RATNAVALI; (ii) PRIYADARSHIKA; (iii) NAGANANDA — Buddhist play. Initially Shaiva, later patronised both BUDDHISM (esp. Mahayana — under Hiuen-Tsang's influence) + Hinduism. Built monasteries at Nalanda; donated gold + silver. After Harsha's death (647 CE) the empire fragmented; north India was politically chaotic for ~150 years until the Pratiharas.
Major Pallava rulers?
(i) SIMHAVISHNU (~575-600 CE) — first historically attested Pallava emperor; defeated the KALABHRAS (a shadowy dynasty that had ruled Tamil land for 3 centuries); restored Brahmanical patronage. (ii) MAHENDRAVARMAN I (~600-630) — innovator of ROCK-CUT TEMPLES (Mandagapattu inscription is famous — first temple "without timber, brick, mortar, or metal"); wrote Sanskrit play MATTAVILASA-PRAHASANA. (iii) NARASIMHAVARMAN I "MAMALLA" (~630-668) — defeated PULAKESHIN II of BADAMI 642 CE; founded Mamallapuram. (iv) NARASIMHAVARMAN II RAJASIMHA (~700-728) — built KAILASANATHAR temple at KANCHI + SHORE TEMPLE at Mamallapuram.
Pallava-Chalukya 250-year rivalry?
Long competition (~6-9 c. CE) for control of the KRISHNA-TUNGABHADRA fertile region. Key episodes: (i) PULAKESHIN II of Badami Chalukyas raided Kanchi 642 CE — defeated Narasimhavarman I's father. (ii) NARASIMHAVARMAN I "MAMALLA" took revenge — sacked Pulakeshin II's capital VATAPI (Badami) in 642 CE; killed Pulakeshin; took title VATAPIKONDAN ("conqueror of Vatapi"). (iii) Long counter-attacks. Eventually both dynasties were eclipsed by RASHTRAKUTAS in 8th c. + IMPERIAL CHOLAS in 9th c.
Mahabalipuram heritage?
NARASIMHAVARMAN I "MAMALLA" founded MAMALLAPURAM as a Pallava port. Built (over 3 generations): (i) PANCHA RATHAS — 5 monolithic temples carved out of single rocks (each named after a Pandava brother); (ii) MAHISHASURAMARDINI cave + Trimurti cave + Krishna cave; (iii) ARJUNA'S PENANCE / Descent of the Ganges — massive (9×27 m) bas-relief on a granite cliff (one of the largest in the world); (iv) SHORE TEMPLE — early structural (not rock-cut) temple by Narasimhavarman II ~700 CE. UNESCO World Heritage Site 1984.
Pallava cultural achievements?
(i) DRAVIDIAN TEMPLE STYLE foundation — Mahendravarman + Narasimhavarman pioneered rock-cut + monolithic + structural Dravidian temples that became the model for Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas; (ii) SANSKRIT learning — Kanchi was a centre of Sanskrit + Tamil scholarship; (iii) BHAKTI MOVEMENT — Tamil Vaishnava ALVARS + Shaiva NAYANARS flourished under Pallava patronage; (iv) Pallava script (Grantha) influenced SE Asian scripts.
How did the Imperial Cholas come to power?
VIJAYALAYA (~850 CE) — chief of a small Chola line; captured the Pallava-Pandya frontier town of THANJAVUR from the Muttaraiyar chief; founded the IMPERIAL CHOLA dynasty. His descendant ADITYA I defeated the LAST great Pallava (Aparajitavarman, 893 CE), absorbing Pallava territory; PARANTAKA I defeated the Pandyas (~910 CE). Cholas became the dominant south-Indian power for the next 400 years.
Rajaraja I (985-1014) — main achievements?
RAJARAJA I — greatest Chola king. (i) Conquered: PANDYAS, CHERAS, defeated Sinhalese king Mahinda V + invaded SRI LANKA + annexed northern half (renamed Mummudi-Chola-Mandalam); Maldives. (ii) Built BRIHADESHWARA TEMPLE at Thanjavur (1010 CE) — tallest temple of its time in the world (~66 m vimana); built of GRANITE (no granite quarries within 50 km — engineering marvel); the topmost stone weighs ~80 tonnes. UNESCO World Heritage as one of the "Great Living Chola Temples". (iii) Reorganised Chola administration into territorial divisions.
This topic is part of the NCERT UPSC Core History syllabus, drawn from the chapter Sharma Ch 23-30: Eastern India + Harsha + Pallava-Chola + Feudalism + Asian Outreach. Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works.
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