New Empires and Kingdoms - iSTUDYNCERT.com

After the Mauryan Empire, several small and large kingdoms emerged.
Some of the most important ones were:
- Gupta Empire
- Harshavardhana’s Kingdom
- South Indian kingdoms like the Pallavas and Chalukyas

Prashasti = “In praise of” → eulogies written by poets for kings.
Samudragupta, a famous ruler of a dynasty known as the Guptas.
Example: Samudragupta’s Prashasti by Harishena (written in Sanskrit, Allahabad pillar).
These inscriptions mention:
- Conquests
- Titles (like Maharajadhiraja – Great King of Kings)
- Generosity (dana/donation)
The poet praised the king in glowing terms — as a warrior, as a king who won victories in battle, who was learned and the best of poets. He is also described as equal to the gods.
Harishena describes four different kinds of rulers.
1. The rulers of Aryavarta
  - the area shaded in green on the map.
  - There were nine rulers who were uprooted, and their kingdoms were made a part of Samudragupta’s empire.
2. The rulers of Dakshinapatha
  - Here there were twelve rulers.
  - They surrendered to Samudragupta after being defeated and he then allowed them to rule again.
3. The inner circle of neighbouring states

including Assam, coastal Bengal, Nepal, and a number of gana sanghas in the north west

The rulers of the outlying areas
- the descendants of the Kushanas and Shakas, and the ruler of Sri Lanka, who submitted to him and offered daughters in marriage.

The era beginning in the 58 BCE is traditionally associated with Gupta king, Chandragupta II, who had founded it as a mark of victory over the Shakas and assumed the title of Vikramaditya.

Prashastis also mention the ancestors of the Samudragupta, about his great grandfather, grandfather, father and mother.
His mother, Kumara devi, belonged to the Lichchhavi gana, while his father, Chandragupta, was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the grand title of maharaj-adhiraja, a title that Samudragupta also used.
His great grandfather and grandfather are mentioned simply as maha-rajas

Ruled Thanesar and later Kannauj (North India).
His court poet, Banabhatta, wrote his biography, the Harshacharita, in Sanskrit.
- This gives us the genealogy of Harsha, and ends with his becoming king.
Xuan Zang, a Chinese traveller visited India during his reign.
Harsha was not the eldest son of his father, but became king of Thanesar after both his father and elder brother died.
His brother-in-law was the ruler of Kanauj and he was killed by the ruler of Bengal.
Harsha took over the kingdom of Kanauj, and then led an army against the ruler of Bengal.
Although he was successful in the east, and conquered both Magadha and Bengal, he was not as successful elsewhere.
He tried to cross the Narmada to march into the Deccan, but was stopped by a ruler belonging to the Chalukya dynasty, Pulakeshin II.

The Pallavas and Chalukyas were the most important ruling dynasties in south India during this period.
The kingdom of the Pallavas spread from the region around their capital, Kanchipuram, to the Kaveri delta.
The Chalukyas was centred around the Raichur Doab, between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra.
- Capital- Aihole
The Pallavas and Chalukyas frequently raided one another’s lands, especially attacking the capital cities, which were prosperous towns.
Both the Pallavas and the Chalukyas gave way to new rulers belonging to the Rashtrakuta and Chola dynasties.

The best-known Chalukya ruler was Pulakeshin II.
A prashasti, composed by his court poet Ravikirti, tells us about his ancestors, who are traced back through four generations from father to son.
He checked the advance of Harsha.

e kings maintained a well-organised army, with elephants, chariots, cavalry and foot soldiers.
Besides, there were military leaders who provided the king with troops whenever he needed them.
Samantas System evolved
- They were not paid regular salaries. Instead, some of them received grants of land.
- They collected revenue from the land and used this to maintain soldiers and horses, and provide equipment for warfare.
- Whenever the ruler was weak, samantas tried to become independent

The inscriptions of the Pallavas mention a number of local assemblies.
- Sabha– assembly of brahmin land owners.
- Ur– land owner were not brahmins
- Nagaram– assembly of rich and powerful landowners and merchants.

His most famous play, Abhijnana Shakuntalam, is the story of the love between a king named Dushyanta and a young woman named Shakuntala.
Kalidasa is known for his plays depicting life in the king’s court.
An interesting feature about these plays is that the king and most brahmins are shown as speaking Sanskrit, while women and men other than the king and brahmins use Prakrit.