{"id":2753,"date":"2026-01-04T13:58:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T08:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=2753"},"modified":"2026-01-05T11:05:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T05:35:20","slug":"post-gupta-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/post-gupta-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-Gupta Era, UPSC Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The successive invasion of Hunas from Central Asia made the Guptas very weak<\/strong>\u00a0and thus affected the economy. It is indicated by the gold coins of later Gupta rulers, which have less gold content and more alloy.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The decline of the Gupta empire resulted in the\u00a0<strong>emergence of numerous ruling dynasties in different parts of northern India.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The prominent among them were the\u00a0<strong>Pushyabhutis\u00a0<\/strong>of Thanesar, the\u00a0<strong>Maukharies\u00a0<\/strong>of Kanauj, and the\u00a0<strong>Maitrakas\u00a0<\/strong>of Valabhi.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The political scene in Peninsular India was no different.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>Chalukyas<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0<strong>Pallavas\u00a0<\/strong>emerged as strong regional powers in Deccan and northern Tamil Nadu, respectively.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>What factors led to the fall of the Guptas?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>The prominent factors which led to the fall of the Guptas can be summarised below:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Invasion of Hunas from Central Asia:\u00a0<\/strong>The successors of Skandagupta proved to be weak and could not cope with the Hunas, who were strong horsemen.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Rise of feudatories:<\/strong>\u00a0The governors and their feudatories appointed by the Guptas in the Bengal region tended to become independent.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The decline in foreign trade:\u00a0<\/strong>After Skandagupta, hardly any Gupta coin or inscription has been found in western Malwa and Saurashtra.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The<strong>\u00a0loss of western India\u00a0<\/strong>deprived the Guptas of the rich revenues from sea trade and commerce and crippled them economically.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Land grants:\u00a0<\/strong>Because of the growing practice of land grants for religious and other purposes, it was difficult for Guptas to maintain a large army. It was bound to\u00a0<strong>reduce their revenues.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"14\"><strong>Vakataka Dynasty - Rulers and their Contributions<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"7\">Period:\u00a0<strong>\u00a0250-510 AD<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"7\">Capital:\u00a0<strong>Vatsagulma (modern Washim)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"14\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Rise:\u00a0<\/strong>Satavahanas started growing weaker from the 3rd century AD. Vakatakas took advantage of this situation and established independent rule.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Expansion:\u00a0<\/strong>After Vindhyashakti,\u00a0<strong>King Pravarasena I<\/strong>\u00a0ascended the throne. He expanded the Vakataka Empire to Malwa in the North and from Gujarat to the South up to Kolhapur, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh).\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Kolhapur was known as<strong>\u00a0\u2018Kuntala\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0at that time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Title:\u00a0<\/strong>Pravarasena I performed four Ashwamedha sacrifices and took up the title\u00a0<strong>\u2018Samrat\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Division:\u00a0<\/strong>There were<strong>\u00a0two lines of Vakataka kings<\/strong>\u00a0ruling in different areas.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The main line\u00a0<\/strong>ruled from eastern Maharashtra (the Vidarbha region),<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The collateral branch,\u00a0<\/strong>called the Basin branch of the Vakatakas, ruled in southern Maharashtra.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Land grants:<\/strong>\u00a0Their history can be reconstructed on the basis of a large number of land grant charters issued to the Brahmanas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Alliance with Guptas:\u00a0<\/strong>Daughter of Chandragupta II of the imperial Gupta family was married to Rudrasena II of the royal Vakataka family.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>They also had matrimonial alliances with the Vishnukundins in eastern Deccan and the Kadambas in the south.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Cultural importance:<\/strong>\u00a0Culturally, the Vakataka kingdom is important because\u00a0<strong>it became a channel to spread Brahmanical culture to south India.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Art and architecture:\u00a0<\/strong>The second phase of the\u00a0<u>Ajanta Caves<\/u>\u00a0is attributed to the Vakatakas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\"><strong>Vindhyashakti (250-270 AD)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\" rowspan=\"2\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Founder of the Vakataka dynasty.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In the\u00a0<strong>Cave XVI inscription of Ajanta,<\/strong><strong>Vindhyashakti\u00a0<\/strong>is described as the\u00a0<strong>banner of the Vakataka family and a Dvija.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Vindhyashakti is also mentioned in Vayu-Purana.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>His son Pravarasena succeeded him.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\"><strong>Pravarasena I (270-330 AD)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\" rowspan=\"2\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Most important King of the Vakataka dynasty.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Only Vakataka king to bear the imperial title\u00a0<strong>Samrat.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Most expansions of the empire happened during his reign.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>In his period Vkatakas came in contact with the powerful Guptas of the north.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Prabhavatigupta (385-405 AD)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Vakataka-Gupta age: Due to the close proximity of both kingdoms.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Miregaon plates inscription: Describes her as the mother of two kings<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Maitrakas - Rulers and their Contributions<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Period<strong>: 475-776 AD<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Capital:<strong>\u00a0Valabhi<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Region:<\/strong>\u00a0Maitraka dynasty ruled in Gujarat and Saurashtra (Kathiawar) from the 5th to the 8th century CE.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Rise:\u00a0<\/strong>Its founder,<strong>\u00a0Bhatarka,<\/strong>\u00a0was a general who,\u00a0<strong>taking advantage of the decay of the Gupta empire,<\/strong>\u00a0established himself as ruler of Gujarat and Saurashtra with<strong>\u00a0Valabhi (modern Vala) as his capital.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Independent nature of State:<\/strong>\u00a0Although the early Maitraka kings were loosely feudatory to the Guptas, they were, in fact, independent.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Expansion:\u00a0<\/strong>Under the powerful Shiladitya I, the kingdom became very influential; its rule\u00a0<strong>extended into the regions of Malwa and Rajasthan.<\/strong>\u00a0Later, however, the Maitrakas suffered at the hands of the Chalukyas and of the emperor Harsha.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"12\"><strong>Pushyabhutis of Thanesar - Rulers and their Contributions<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">Period:<strong>\u00a0500-647 AD<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">Capital:\u00a0<strong>Thanesar (Thaneshwara),\u00a0<\/strong>later<strong>\u00a0Kannauj (Kanyakubja)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Founder:<\/strong>\u00a0The founder of the dynasty was Pushyabhuti, who was a military general under Guptas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Rise:\u00a0<\/strong>After the fall of the Gupta, Pushyabhutis under Prabhakara Vardhana rose to power by defeating Hunas and had their capital at Thanesar (Thanesvara in Kurukshetra).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Alliance with Maukharis:<\/strong>\u00a0Prabhakara Vardhana gave his daughter Rajyasri in marriage to the Maukhari king Grahavarman of Kanauj, thus making Kanauj his ally.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Harshavardhana:<\/strong>\u00a0He was the most important king who ascended the throne in AD 606. While only sixteen years of age, he proved himself to be a great warrior and an able administrator.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\"><strong>Harshavardhana (606-647 AD)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The Pushyabhutis rose to prominence under Harsha. Harsha ruled the kingdom as large as that of the Guptas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Sources:\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Literary sources:<\/strong>\u00a0Bana\u2019s Harshacharita and Hsuen Tsang\u2019s Si-Yu-ki<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Epigraphical sources:\u00a0<\/strong>Madhuban copper plate inscription, Sonpa inscription on the copper seal, Banskhera copper plate inscription, Nalanda inscription on clay seals.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Sakalauttarapathanatha:\u00a0<\/strong>After his accession, Harshavardhana united his kingdom with that of his widowed sister Rajayashri and\u00a0<strong>shifted his capital to Kanauj<\/strong>\u00a0and is described as the<strong>\u00a0lord of the north.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Expansion:\u00a0<\/strong>Harsha wanted to expand in Deccan, but he was\u00a0<strong>defeated by Pulakesin II, the Chalukya ruler,<\/strong>\u00a0on the banks of river Narmada. The river thus became the southern boundary of his kingdom.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Hsuen Tsang:\u00a0<\/strong>A Chinese traveller visited during his reign\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>He was impressed by Harsha\u2019s patronage of Buddhism and scholarship for it.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>He spent the most time in Kannauj to learn early Buddhist scriptures.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Other reason to shift capital:\u00a0<\/strong>Thanesar was too close to the threats from the northwest<strong>.\u00a0<\/strong>Kanauj was located in the rich agricultural region of the western Ganges Plain.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva:\u00a0<\/strong>On his advice, Harsha accepted the throne of Kannauj with the<strong>\u00a0titles of Rajputra and Siladitya.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Alliance with Maitrakas:\u00a0<\/strong>Marrying his daughter with Dhruvabhatta of Maitraka.Thus, Valabhi became a subordinate ally of Harsha.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\"><strong>Contributions to Art and Architecture<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The art and architecture under Harsha are related to art and architecture under Guptas only. It has no separate existence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong><u>Sultanganj Buddha<\/u><\/strong><strong>\u00a0(500-700 AD)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/egBarRDQqvKZDEfA1EZmQaJv3LjRT69yPTPyVMjHrdJKtanOby0PNRMqJSE1wJzuvwTjrQuW3kpAcmhrhyRjvqOMOh4wcZZUFkhdDVUOfp3yXAegBOSLEnjEMAEmSCBvyObDk18lkVOQqeUH9I18pQ\" alt=\"\" \/><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>It is the\u00a0<strong>largest copper Buddha figure known from the time.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>It is the only remaining statue of metal size of any size from Gupta art.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>It was cast in pure, unrefined copper by<strong>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/strong><strong><u>lost wax technique.<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>The<strong>\u00a0right hand<\/strong>\u00a0raised is in\u00a0<strong>Abhaymudra.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>left hand<\/strong>\u00a0is held downwards with palm outwards, said to<strong>\u00a0indicate granting a favour.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Other Arts<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Printing, colouring, metal works, ivory works etc.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Centre of arts:<\/strong>\u00a0Kannauj, Varanasi, Ujjain.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"12\"><strong>Contribution to Literature<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Harshavardhana<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Composed three plays, namely,\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Priyadarshika\u00a0<\/strong>(the union of Udayana and Priyadarshin).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Ratnavali\u00a0<\/strong>(alliance of King Udayana and Ratnavali).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Nagananda\u00a0<\/strong>(self-sacrifice of Jimutavahana).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Banskhera copper plate inscription:\u00a0<\/strong>Reveals that he was a skilled Calligraphist.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Regional cultural units\u00a0<\/strong>such as Bengal, Orissa, Gujarat etc., started during his time<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Banabhata<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>A\u00a0<strong>Sanskrit<\/strong>\u00a0scholar of Harsha\u2019s court.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Works:\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Harshacharita\u00a0<\/strong>(in Kavya Style, biography of Harsha).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Kadambari\u00a0<\/strong>(lyrical prose romance).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Candikasataka\u00a0<\/strong>(a hymn to goddess Durga).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Jayasena<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Recognised for his<strong>\u00a0learnings in Hetuvidya, Sabdavidya, and Yogasastra.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Mayurabhatta\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Wrote<strong>\u00a0Suryashataka\u00a0<\/strong>(praise of Hindu Sun god).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Hsuen Tsang<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>His accounts present Harsha as a follower of\u00a0<u>Mahayana Buddhism<\/u>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kannauj Buddist assembly was held in his honour.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\"><strong>Contemporary Scholars<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td colspan=\"6\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Bharavi<\/strong>\u00a0wrote Kirtarjuniyan (Mahabharat theme).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Kumardas\u00a0<\/strong>wrote Janaki Haran.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><strong>Administration under Harshavardhana<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>On the same lines as Guptas:<\/strong>\u00a0Except that his administration had become more feudal and decentralised.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Land grants:<\/strong>\u00a0Continued to be made to priests for special services rendered to the state.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>In addition, Harsha is credited with the grant of land to the officers by charters.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Law and Order:<\/strong>\u00a0It was not well maintained. Hsuen Tsang, about whom special care may have been taken, was robbed of his belongings.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Empire division: Provinces (Bhuktis), provinces into districts (Visayas), and the districts into villages (gram).<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Officers:\u00a0<\/strong>Same as under Guptas.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>high officials\u00a0<\/strong>such as\u00a0<strong>Mahasamantas and Maharajas were hereditary- local chiefs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Othe\u00a0<strong>provincial officers were Kumaramatyas, Uparikas, etc.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Visayapati<\/strong>\u00a0was the district officer, and Gramika was the village officer.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Karanikas:\u00a0<\/strong>The central and provincial governments maintained a keeper of records called Karanika<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>Society and Religion under Harshavardhana<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Sources:<\/strong>\u00a0Both Banabhata and Hsuen Tsang portray the social life in the times of Harsha.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Prevalent fourfold division:\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Brahmins\u00a0<\/strong>were the privileged section of the society and were given land grants by the kings (Brahmadeya grants).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Kshatriyas\u00a0<\/strong>were the ruling class.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Vysyas<\/strong>\u00a0were mainly traders.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\u00a0Hiuen Tsang mentions that the<strong>\u00a0Sudras practised agriculture.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li>There existed many sub-castes.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The position of women:<\/strong>\u00a0It was not satisfactory.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>\u00a0Remarriage of widows was not permitted, particularly among the higher castes.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The system of dowry was also common.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The practice of sati was also prevalent.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Religious policy:<\/strong>\u00a0Harsha followed a tolerant religious policy.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>A Shaiva, in his early years, gradually became a great patron of Buddhism under the influence of Hsuen Tsang.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Buddhism under Harsha:<\/strong>\u00a0As a devout Buddhist, he convened a grand assembly at Kannauj to widely publicise the doctrine of Mahayana.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>Economy under Harshavardhana<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Trade and commerce:\u00a0<\/strong>Declined during Harsha's period. This is evident from the decline of trade centres, less number of coins, and the slow activities of merchant guilds.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Effect on industry:\u00a0<\/strong>The decline of trade, in turn, affected the handicraft industry and agriculture.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The farmers began to produce only in a limited way due to less demand. This led to\u00a0<strong>the rise of the self-sufficient village economy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Taxes:<\/strong>\u00a0The royal revenue was derived from three kinds of taxes, namely the Bhaga (Share), Bali, and Hiranya.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Bhaga:<\/strong>\u00a0The major source of revenue was the Bhaga (land tax<strong>).\u00a0<\/strong>Bhaga was the\u00a0<strong>one-sixth share of the produce<\/strong>\u00a0of the land taken as revenue.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Other taxes:<\/strong>\u00a0There were ferry tax, customs duty, etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/HG2CTPyfQCcWXpqQ-YsTURh42soUcrDQyT9QPqClPu0CwJSV9ZQjgSmSFKCV4RGYof7qAOU_O9bhbYO2uuQUTk0dp0zYOxCcxourvJ6hEpwYhnw0GUedTJU7nBTAA11CSdQVW-2Qu7EvnF6C1AzoDQ\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Empire of Harshavardhana<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Maukharis - Rulers and their Contributions<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Period<strong>: 510-606 AD<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<th>Capital:<strong>\u00a0Kannauj (Kanyakubja)<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Political Centre:<\/strong>\u00a0Ruled from Kannauj, it replaced Pataliputra as a political centre of north India.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Religion: Staunch Hindus.\u00a0<\/strong>Tried to maintain social order.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Buddhism<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>Held its sway under Maukharis.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Vassal state:\u00a0<\/strong>Maukharis were subordinate rulers of the Guptas and later of Harshas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Titles:\u00a0<\/strong>Maharaja and Maharajadhiraja.\u00a0<strong>Ishanavarman<\/strong>\u00a0was the first Maukhari ruler to adopt the title of\u00a0<strong>Maharajadhiraja.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Asigarh Seal inscription:\u00a0<\/strong>It throws light on literary works by patrons and poets under Maukharis.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Contacts with Sesanian Empire:\u00a0<\/strong>Through the gift of the game of Chess, Maukharis established contact with Sesanian Empire.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Succession:\u00a0<\/strong>Pushyabhtis ultimately succeeded Maukharis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Pallavas of Kanchi\u00a0<\/strong><strong>- Rulers and their Contributions<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Period:\u00a0<strong>575-897 AD<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Capital:\u00a0<strong>Kanchi<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The Pallavas established their authority over south Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu, with the capital at Kanchi.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kanchi, under them, became an important temple town and a centre of trade and commerce.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The Pallavas rose to power during the reign of\u00a0<strong>Mahendravarman and Narasimhavarman I.\u00a0<\/strong>Throughout their reign, they were in constant conflict with the Chalukyas of Vatapi in the north and the Tamil kingdoms of Cholas and Pandyas in the south.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Chalukyas of Badami\u00a0<\/strong><strong>- Rulers and their Contributions<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Period:\u00a0<strong>543-755 AD<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Capital:\u00a0<strong>Badami<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Region:\u00a0<\/strong>They set up their kingdom in western Deccan with the capital at Vatapi (modern Badami in Karnataka).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Rise:<\/strong>\u00a0The kingdom rapidly rose to prominence<strong>\u00a0during the reign of Pulakesin II.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Expansion:\u00a0<\/strong>He consolidated his authority in\u00a0<strong>Maharashtra and conquered large parts of Deccan.<\/strong>\u00a0He defeated Harshavardhana and acquired the title of\u00a0<strong>dakshinapatheshvara (lord of the south).\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Political struggle:<\/strong>\u00a0Pulakesin II was defeated by Pallava king Narasimhavarman.It marked the beginning of a long-drawn political struggle between the Pallavas and Chalukyas that continued with ups and down for more than a hundred years.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><strong>Administration in Post-Gupta Period<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Administration:\u00a0<\/strong>It was mostly\u00a0<strong>centralised.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The administration\u00a0<strong>under Harsha was more feudal.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Titles of officials:\u00a0<\/strong>Continued as in the Gupta period. A class of officials was known as\u00a0<strong>Kumaramatyas.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Samanta:\u00a0<\/strong>Semi-independent local chiefs of this period.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Land grants:\u00a0<\/strong>Continued to be made to priests for special services rendered to the state.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Judicial system:\u00a0<\/strong>More developed than Guptas. Legal matters were dealt with by\u00a0<strong>Dharmashastras.\u00a0<\/strong>There was a\u00a0<strong>differentiation between civil and criminal cases.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>Society and Religion in Post-Gupta Period<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Emergence of new castes:\u00a0<\/strong>As trade declined, with the transformation of guilds, new castes emerged.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Growth of Kayasthas:<\/strong>\u00a0As land grants grew, there was a need for a body of scribes and record keepers who were employed to draft assignments of land and keep details of land transfer, including various items of revenue. Thus Kayasthas emerged.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Social status:\u00a0<\/strong>Due to the position of land holding and association with agriculture, the position of Shudras improved, and that of Vaishyas decreased.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Position of women:<\/strong>\u00a0There was a progressive decline. Early marriages were preferred.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Religious policy:\u00a0<\/strong>The post-Gupta dynasties followed tolerant religious policies.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Religion:\u00a0<\/strong>The orthodox Brahmanical order continued to be challenged, particularly by movements within Shaivism, by poet-saints, and by those who practised the Tantric form of worship.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Most religions, irrespective of whether it was Brahmanism, Buddhism, or Shaivism, developed institutional bases in the form of temples and monasteries.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Ruling powers supported institutions and Brahmanas, monks, and Acharyas by grants of land, wealth, and other means. Through these acts of patronage, the ruling powers strengthened their social base.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Emergence of the Bhakti movement\u00a0<\/strong>was a special feature of this period.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>Economy in Post-Gupta Period<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Trade and Commerce:<\/strong>\u00a0Northwestern route disruption by Hunas resulted in a comparative\u00a0<strong>decline in the country\u2019s trade and commerce.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Till 550 AD, India continued to have some trade with the eastern Roman Empire, to which it exported silk and spices.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Loss of gold:\u00a0<\/strong>The loss in trade lessened the inflow of gold and silver into the country. It is confirmed by a general scarcity of gold coins after the Guptas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Self-Sufficient economy:\u00a0<\/strong>Thus, in the absence of coinage, we can presume that a self-sufficient economic system with limited trade prevailed after the downfall of the Guptas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Feudal land tenure: Yajnavalkya and Brihaspati,<\/strong>\u00a0authors of Smriti's works, mention four grades of land rights in the same piece of land. It led to hierarchical rights over land and sub-infeudation.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The Mahipati (king),<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kshetrasvamin (master of the land),<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Karshaka (cultivator) and<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The sub-tenant.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 175px\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Other Related Posts<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/jainism\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Jainism<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/mauryan-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Mauryan Administration<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/vardhaman-mahavira\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Vardhaman Mahavira<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ashoka\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Ashoka<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/jain-councils\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Jain Councils<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/post-mauryan-period\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Post Mauryan Period<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/sects-of-jainism\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Sects of Jainism<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indo-greek-kingdom\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Indo-Greek Kingdom<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/jainism-and-buddhism\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Buddhism and Jainism<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/sangam-literature\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Sangam Age<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/mauryan-empire\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Mauryan Empire<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/kushan-empire\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Kushan Empire<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/pallavas-of-kanchi\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pallavas of Kanchi<\/a><br \/>\r\n<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/post-gupta-era\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Post-Gupta Era<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Huna invasions weakened Gupta empire &#038; economy leading to rise of new ruling dynasties in northern India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7881,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[154,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-2753","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-notes","8":"tag-post-gupta-era","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19568,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2753\/revisions\/19568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}