Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering Indian empires, dynasties, rulers, literature, universities, and political struggles between the 6th and 10th centuries CE based on the lecture material.

In what year did Harshavardhana ascend the throne at Kannauj, and which dynasty did he belong to?

He ascended the throne in $606\text{ CE}$ and belonged to the Pushyabhuti (or Vardhana) dynasty.

What was the earlier capital of the Pushyabhuti dynasty before Kannauj?

Sthaneshvara (located in present-day Thanesar in Haryana).

What ancient name was used for the city of Kannauj in present-day Uttar Pradesh?

Kanyakubja.

What is inscribed on the copper plate found at Banskhera in Uttar Pradesh bearing King Harsha's signature?

Written in Nagari script, it reads: 'svahasto mama mahārājādhirāja shri harshasya', meaning 'By my own hand, the great king of kings, Shri Harsha'.

Which two major literary works were composed by Harsha's court poet Bāṇabhaṭṭa?

The novel Kadambari and the royal biography Harshacharita.

Who completed the 7th-century novel Kadambari after Bāṇa died?

It was completed by Bāṇa's son.

During what years did the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang travel around the Indian subcontinent?

Between $630\text{ CE}$ and $644\text{ CE}$.

How many Buddhist manuscripts did Xuanzang carry back to China from India, and by what means?

More than $600$ manuscripts of Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, carried by $20$ horses.

What ceremonial assembly did Harsha hold every five years at Prayaga?

An assembly held at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers where, after performing sacred rites, he gave away vast amounts of wealth to Buddhists, Brahmins, and the poor.

Which Chalukya ruler halted Harshavardhana's southward expansion at the Narmada River?

Pulakeshin II.

Who was Harsha's ally from the Varman dynasty of Kamarupa?

King Bhaskaravarmana (ruling from their capital Prāgjyotisha, close to today's Guwahati).

In what year did Harshavardhana die, leading to political turmoil in northern India?

$647\text{ CE}$.

Which three powers contested the 'Tripartite Struggle' over Kannauj during the 8th and 9th centuries?

The Pālas from the east, the Gurjara-Pratihāras from the west, and the Rashtrakutas from the Deccan.

Who was chosen by the people to establish the Pāla dynasty in Bengal, and in what year?

Gopala, in $750\text{ CE}$.

Which major Buddhist monasteries/universities were founded by the Pāla ruler Dharmapāla?

Vikramaśhilā (in present-day Bihar) and Somapura (in present-day Bangladesh).

How was admission screened at Vikramaśhilā University?

Each college had a 'dvarapandita' ('scholar gatekeeper') who tested prospective students before granting them admission.

Who plundered and destroyed Vikramaśhilā University in the 12th century?

Bakhtiyar Khilji.

Who founded the Gurjara-Pratihāra dynasty in the mid-8th century CE, and what was its early capital?

NagabhaṮa I; its early capital was Bhillamāla (modern Bhinmal in western Rajasthan), which later shifted to Ujjayini.

What major military achievement brought early fame to the Gurjara-Pratihāras?

Pushing back Arab invasions into northwest India.

What other titles was the 9th-century Pratihāra ruler King Bhoja known by?

'Mihira' (a name of the Sun) and 'Ādi Varāha' (referring to the boar avatar of Vishnu).

Who finally eliminated the Gurjara-Pratihāra empire in the early 11th century?

The Ghaznavids.

Who was the first independent Rashtrakuta ruler, and which dynasty did he overthrow in the mid-8th century?

Dantidurga, who overthrew the Chalukyas in the Deccan.

Where was the capital of the Rashtrakutas established?

Mānyakheta (modern Malkheda in present-day Karnataka).

Which Rashtrakuta king commissioned the rock-cut Kailashanatha temple at Ellora?

King Krishna I.

According to the historical timeline, in which years were the first Arab naval attack repulsed at Thana and Sindh conquered by the Arabs?

The attack at Thana was repulsed in $637\text{ CE}$, and the Arabs conquered Sindh in $712\text{ CE}$.