Rajyavardhana II
| Author: Laxman Burdak IFS (R) |
Rajyavardhana II (राज्यवर्धन) (605–606), also Rajya Vardhan, was eldest son of Prabhakar Vardhan who ascended the throne after Prabhakar Vardhan’s death in 605 AD. Harsha Vardhana was Rajyavardhan’s younger brother.
History
Thaneshwar, during this time (about 604 A.D.) was threatened by the Hunas from the western side. Banabhatta has described Prabhakarvardhana as "a lion to the Huna deer". According to him an army under Rajyavardhana was sent to defeat the Hunas but due to the sudden illness of his father he had to come back. With Prabhakarvardhana's death the family had to face troubled times for a while. The Malava king killed Grahavarman and took Rajyasri prisoner. It appears that the Malava and the Gauda kings entered into alliance and even Thaneshwar was threatened.
On getting the news that Devagupta, the king of Malawa, combining with the Gauda king Shashanka had attacked and killed the Maukhari ruler Grahavarman, the husband of her sister, Rajyashri Rajyavardhana immediately left Thanesar for Kannauj. In a war with the above enemies he defeated Devagupta. But by a combined statagem of the two he was invited to their camp for an agreement and was instead put to sword unaware. The above incident related by Banabhatta in his Harshacharita is testified by the Banskheda and Madhuban Copper Plate Inscriptions of Harshavardhana. Rajyavardhana is described as paramsaugata in the above inscriptions.
List of Rulers
The following are the known rulers of the Pushyabhuti or Vardhana dynasty, with estimated period of reign.[1]
| Ruler | Reign (CE) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pushyabhuti | ~500 | |
| Naravardhana | 500–525 | |
| Rajyavardhana I | 525–555 | |
| Adityavardhana | 555–580 | |
| Prabhakaravardhana | 580–605 | |
| Rajyavardhana II | 605–606 | |
| Harshavardhana | 606–647 |
External links
References
- ↑ Ronald M. Davidson (2012). Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-50102-6.p38-39
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