Harsha

(r. 606–647) Ruler in the Pushyabhuti
line, a dynasty whose capital was the
city of Kanyakubja in eastern Uttar
Pradesh. Harsha is generally considered
the greatest Pushyabhuti ruler; he controlled a large part of northern India and
to some extent restored the glory of the
Gupta dynasty (350–550).
Historically, Harsha’s reign is welldocumented, in part by the Chinese pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, whose account gives
invaluable information about Indian life
at that time. Harsha was an able and
energetic ruler who spent much of his
later life evaluating the condition of his
empire. He was also a cultured and literate man—he was the author of three
Sanskrit plays—whose court was
graced by significant literary figures,
especially the playwright Bana. After
his death, his kingdom quickly disintegrated when he died without an heir.
See also Pushyabhuti dynasty.