| House of Varman | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Map of the Varman territory at the time of Yashovarman, circa 700 CE. [2] | |
| Founded | 725 |
| Founder | Yashovarman |
| Final ruler | Bhoja |
| Seat | Kannauj |
| Titles | Maharajadhiraja of Kannauj |
| Dissolution | 770 |
The Varman dynasty was a dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Kannauj from the mid 7th century to the late 8th century. [3] It was founded by Yashovarman, who filled the power vacuum created after emperor Harshavardhana's death.
The city of Kannauj had previously been ruled by emperor Harshavardhana, who died without an heir and thus created a power vacuum. This lasted for around a century before Yashovarman emerged as its ruler. [4] Alexander Cunningham, an archaeologist of the British Raj period, speculated on possible rulers of Kannauj during the period between Harsha and Yashovarman but there is little evidence to support his claims. [5] Much of information on him is derived from the Gaudavaho (Slaying of the king of Gauda), [6] a Prakrit-language poem written by his court poet Vakpati. According to the Jain chronicles, Yashovarman had a son named Āma, who succeeded him as the king of Kannauj during 749-753 CE. [7] [8]
The dynasty reached its greatest extent and zenith of prosperity only under its founder, Yashovarman. The Gaudavaho depicts Yashovarman as conquering large swathes of northern India — including Bihar, Bengal, the western Deccan, Indus Valley and Kashmir — before returning in triumph to Kannauj. However, Kalhana, a Kashmiri court chronicler who lived around the 12th century CE, gives a very different story in his Rajatarangini , depicting Yashovarman as a ruler who was among those defeated by Lalitaditya Muktapida, a very powerful Karkota ruler of Kashmir. [9]
Although R. C. Majumdar is among those who are wary of the ancient accounts of conquests, he believes that Yashovarman was "unquestionably the most powerful king [in the region] about this time."
Yashovarman's successors did not expand the kingdom and were all weak kings, who did not pay much attention to administration. They are considered as unsuccessful rulers. [10] Āma, Dunduka, and Bhoja are considered as insignificant rulers, who achieved nothing of importance and reigned for 15–20 years. [11] The last king, Bhoja was probably defeated by the Ayudhas, who established a new dynasty. [11]
The middle kingdoms of India were the political entities in the Indian subcontinent from 230 BCE to 1206 CE. The period begins after the decline of the Maurya Empire and the corresponding rise of the Satavahana dynasty, starting with Simuka, from 230 BCE. The "middle" period lasted for almost 1436 years and ended in 1206 CE, with the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, founded in 1206, and the end of the Later Cholas.
Kannauj is an ancient city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is an evolved form of the classical name Kanyakubja. In Ancient Vedic period, it was famous city of Panchala Mahajanpada and also its capital during Panchala king Vajrayudha.
The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.
The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs.
Shashanka was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his rule between c. 600 and 636/7 CE, whereas other sources place his reign between 590 and 625 CE.
Nagabhata II was an Indian Emperor from Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty. He ascended the throne of Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty after his father Vatsraja. His mother was queen Sundari-Devi. He was designated with imperial titles - Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, and Paramesvara after conquest of Kannauj.
The Tripartite Struggle, also known as the Kannauj Wars or the Kannauj Triangle Wars, for control of northern India took place in the ninth century, among the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire, the Pala Empire and the Rashtrakuta Empire.
The Mori was a kingdom that ruled over southwestern Rajasthan and northern Malwa from the 7th century and for a period of about 120 years. They controlled the Chittor Fort. The Mori Rajputs were probably the most powerful power in this region before the rise of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty. They are considered as the branch of later Mauryans.
The Gauḍa Kingdom was a kingdom during the Classical era in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the Gauda region of Bengal in 4th century CE or possibly earlier.
Yashovarman was a medieval Indian ruler of Kannauj who founded the Varman dynasty.
The Chaulukya dynasty, also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between c. 940 CE and c. 1244 CE. Their capital was located at Anahilavada. At times, their rule extended to the Malwa region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The family is also known as the "Solanki dynasty" in the vernacular literature. They belonged to the Solanki clan of Rajputs.
The origin of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of India is a topic of debate among historians. The rulers of this dynasty used the self-designation "Pratihara" for their clan, but have been described as "Gurjara" by their neighbouring kingdoms. Only one particular inscription of a feudatory ruler named Mathanadeva mentions him as a "Gurjara-Pratihara".
The Pratiharas of Mandavyapura, also known as the Pratiharas of Mandore, were an Indian dynasty. They ruled parts of the present-day Rajasthan between 6th and 9th centuries CE. They first established their capital at Mandavyapura, and later ruled from Medantaka.
The Pushyabhuti dynasty, also known as the Vardhana dynasty, was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Thanesar and later the Kingdom of Kannauj in northern India during the 6th and 7th centuries. The dynasty reached its zenith under its last ruler Harsha Vardhana, whose empire covered much of north and north-western India, extending till Kamarupa in the east and Narmada River in the south. The dynasty initially ruled from Sthanveshvara, but Harsha eventually made Kanyakubja his capital, from where he ruled until 647 CE.
The Later Gupta dynasty ruled Magadha in eastern India between the 6th and 8th centuries CE. The Later Guptas succeeded the Imperial Guptas as the rulers of eastern Malwa or Magadha, but there is no evidence connecting the two dynasties; these appear to be two distinct families. The "Later Guptas" are so-called because the names of their rulers ended with the suffix "-gupta", which they might have adopted to portray themselves as the successors of the Imperial Guptas.
Āma was a medieval Indian king who ruled Kannauj and surrounding areas during the 8th and the 9th centuries. According to the Jain chronicles, he was the son and successor of Yashovarman.
Dunduka was a king of the state of Kannauj in North India during the early 8th century CE.
Bhoja was the King of Kannauj in the late 8th century CE.
The Ayudha dynasty was the short-lived ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Kannauj from the late 8th to the early 9th century CE. It was established when Vajrayudha deposed the Varmans and started ruling over Kannauj.
The Kingdom of Kannauj was a kingdom in Northern India during the Early Mediaeval Era. It was established by Harivarman in 510 who was crowned Maharaja of Kannauj by the Magadhan Emperor. During the period, the city of Kannauj grew in prominence in North India. The kingdom was focal point of the Kannauj Wars, which resulted in its annexation by the Gurjara Empire.