Page 81 - SST Class 06

Comparison between Gupta administration HARSHAVARDHANA
and the Mauryan administration
After the decline of the Gupta empire, North India
Gupta Administration broke up into several kingdoms. One of the
kingdoms that emerged was Vardhana dynasty.
1. The administration was simple.
The first ruler of Vardhana dynasty was Prabhakar
2. There were two types of territories—under Vardhana . His capital was Thaneshwar (Thanesar).
direct control and under indirect control.
He was succeeded by Rajyavardhana who was
3. The governors of provinces had more cunningly murdered by the ruler of Bengal
autonomy. Shashank . After his death at the age of 16 years,

4. The officers were often given land grants in Harshavardhana ascended the throne in 606 CE
place of salaries, with the authority to collect and ruled till 647 CE. He was one of the most
taxes. powerful kings of this dynasty. He shifted his
capital from Thanesar to Kannauj as it was easier
5. The laws and punishments were lax.
to control the empire from there. He then
Mauryan Administration conquered area from the west to east, i.e. Punjab,
1. The administration was complex divided into eastern Rajasthan, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
several tiers. Orissa and the whole of the Ganga valley upto
Assam. However, he was defeated by the
2. All territories were under the direct control of Chalukya king Pulakeshin II in 620 CE.
the rulers.
T TAJIKISTAN AJIKISTAN
3. The Mauryan rulers gave only limited Khashgarh INDIA
EMPIRE OF HARSHAVARDHANA
autonomy to the governors of provinces. (AD 606 – AD 647)
Kabul KASHMIR
H
AFGHANISTAN Srinagar I
4. The officers were given salaries. Kandahar Taxila Jammu M A C H I N A
5. The laws and punishments under the Mauryan IRAN Jullundur L A N S
Thanesar Y TIBET A I
rule were comparatively harsh. PAKISTAN A M O U N T
AS JAR N E P AMR UPA
GUR Mathura Sravasti A L BHUTAN K
KANNAUJ
Pat
DECLINE OF THE GUPTA PERIOD SINDH Ayodhya Patliputra liputra B NGLA ADESH
Nalanda
A GL DESH
Nalanda
r p
c
T o ic of C MALWA Prayag Gaya B AN
an er I N D I A Rajgriha BENGAL
BENGAL
The early Gupta kings were able and strong; but in Tamralipta
Navdweep
Ujja
(Port)
GAN
the later kings were not so. Moreover, granting of VALLABHI JAM
land gradually transformed into revolt. Two other A R A B I A N Ajanta B AY
PULAKESIN II
O F
reasons that contributed to S E A B E N G A L
the decline of the Gupta
period included the frequent
attacks by the Hunas and the Kanchipuram
CHOLAS
Buddhist teachings. The HER AS C REFERENCE (INDIA) ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS
Empire of Harsha
kings followed Buddhism (INDIA) LAKSHADWEEP PA D S Route of Xuanzang's
Travel
N YA
Capital
and shunned wars due to SRI Present International
MALDIVES LANKA Boundary
which the army weakened. Ellora Caves I N D I A N O C E A N
India under Harshavardhana’s rule
Info Bits Harshavardhana was a great patron of art and
Info Bits
wrote three plays in Sanskrit—Ratnavali ,
q The Manusmriti was followed for the Priyadarshika , and Nagananda . Harsha was a
administration of justice during the Gupta follower of Shiva in his early years. Later, he
period.
embraced Buddhism and organised the fifth
q Because of his fine literary works, Kalidasa is Buddhist council at Kannauj in 643 CE. According
called the Shakespeare of India. to Hiuen-Tsang, Harsha got a number of stupas
Political Developments (AD 300 TO 700)
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