Harsha and his times

Abstract

Harsha the greatest of the Vardhan dynasty succeeded in partially restoring the glories of the Guptas. Although Harsha gained control of most of northern India from Gujarat to Bengal his empire was feudal in structure. The feudal practice of rewarding and paying officers with grant of land seems to have began under Harsha. This explains why we do not have too many coins issued by him. His administration was in fact feudal and decentralized. Hiuen Tsang pays a tribute to the administrative skill of Harshavardhan Patliputra had lost its past glory and was in a state of decline. Harsha was shaivites in the beginning but later on he became the staunch supporter of Buddhism. Harsha was a great writer and a poet. He wrote three plays: Priyadarshika, Ratnavali and Naganand.