The Pratiharas (8th To 10th Century) In Mediaeval India

Western and northern India were under the control of the Pratiharas, also known as the Gurjara-Pratiharas (8th century CE–10th century CE). Under Nagabhata-I (730–760 CE), who successfully repelled Arab invaders, the fortunes of this dynasty improved. This dynasty's most well-known ruler was Bhoja or Mihira Bhoja (about 836-885 CE). The Pratiharas were best renowned for their support of architecture, sculpture, and temple building as well as their constant conflicts with other dynasties at the time, like the Rashtrakuta Dynasty in southern India and the Palas in eastern India. 

 

•    Chaos and political instability resulted with the collapse of the Pushyabhuti Dynasty, which was based at Kanyakubja (modern-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh state), under Harshavardhana (606-647 CE).

 

•    The Pratiharas, Palas of eastern India, and Rashtrakutas of southern India eventually came to rule despite the rise and fall of several kingdoms. Around the ninth century CE, Kanyakubja was ruled by the Ayudha dynasty.

 

•    It is still unknown where Gujarat, in particular the Gurjara-Pratiharas, came from.

 

•    The Gujarat are variously seen as a tribe, locals who belonged to the Gurjara country (Gurjaradesha or Gurjaratra), or foreigners who were gradually absorbed into Indian society.

 

•    The Gurjaras are considered to be a tribe or clan, and the Pratiharas, whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word pratihara (which means "doorkeeper"), are one such group.

 

•    Prince Lakshmana served as the doorkeeper for his older brother King Rama in the epic Ramayana.

 

•    Lakshmana was regarded as their ancestor, therefore the Pratiharas chose this name.

 

•    Other Gurjara families started out as local officials before establishing minor principalities south and east of Jodhpur in the present-day state of Rajasthan.

 

•    The Pratiharas gained fame in the late eighth century CE after successfully fending off Arab invaders.

 

•    In addition to inscriptions, sculpture and monuments built during their reign serve as significant records of their era and rule.

 

•    Suleiman, who travelled to India in the ninth century CE and left a travelogue behind, and al-Masudi, who travelled to Gujarat in the tenth century CE, are two examples of Arab traders who visited India during this time.

 

•    The Pratihara Kingdom is referred to by all of these sources as al-Juzr (from the Sanskrit Gurjara), and they all confirm "the great power and prestige of the Pratihara rulers and the vastness of their empire. 

 

•    He was the dynasty's first notable king, and as a result of his victories over the Arabs and other enemies, his line eventually surpassed other Gurjara-Pratihara lineages.

 

•    He battled the Rashtrakutas, but he lost.

 

•    He was succeeded by his brother Devaraja, then by his nephew Kakustha. They held power between the years 760 and 775 CE.

 

•    After defeating the Bhandi or Bhatti clan, Vatsaraja (775–800 CE) took control of the majority of central Rajasthan.

 

•    He later made an attempt at Kanyakubja politics, where he defeated Palas and won the throne for his Ayudha candidate.

 

•    He suffered a heavy setback when Dhruva Rashtrakuta took the royal emblem that Vatsaraja had taken from the Palas and forced him to seek safety in the Rajasthan deserts.

 

•    Vatsaraja made an effort to revive the dynasty's fortunes from 800 to 833 CE. He overthrew the Palas after capturing the kingdoms of Sindh (present-day Pakistan) and eastern India.

•    His subsequent victories included victories over the Arabs and other monarchs of Gurjaradesha in western India.

 

•    South Gujarat and Malwa were lost as a result of Nagabhata's battle with the Rashtrakutas for control of Gujarat, which was ultimately won by Rashtrakuta Govinda III (793–814 CE).

 

•    He was eventually able to restore some of his lost territory once he had recovered his strength.

 

•    Additionally, he took Kanyakubja, putting an end to Ayudha reign. As of right present, this city serves as Pratihara's capital.

 

•    Ramabhadra, his son, succeeded him and under his rule there was some territory recovery (833–836 CE).

 

•    As the Nagabhata II's grandson, he ruled for about 50 years.

 

•    The Palas, Rashtrakutas, and Kalachuris first crushed him, but he was able to assemble his men and organise a counterattack.

 

•    He routed the Palas and perhaps the Rashtrakutas with the aid of his Chedi and Guhila feudatories.

 

•    He was able to considerably expand his empire by annexing a large portion of the eastern Indian Pala Empire and regaining territory in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

 

•    Mahendrapala I (885–900 CE) extended the empire of his father Bhoja and seized new lands in the east.

 

•    He was overthrown by the king of Kashmir and gave some of Punjab to him as compensation.

 

•    A civil war broke out between his son Mahipala and his half-brother Bhoja II after his death.

 

•    Mahipala I (c. 912–944 CE) succeeded in seizing the throne but was overthrown by the Rashtrakutas, allowing the Palas to take advantage of the circumstance and regain portions of the Pratiharas' previous lands.

 

•    Mahipala made an effort to make up for these setbacks and succeeded in recovering some lost territory, but the Rashtrakutas eventually foiled his conquering efforts once again.

 

•    Mahendrapala II (r. 944–948 CE) and his successors did not contribute significantly while in power. These kings had less of an impact on daily life and more closely resembled petty rulers.

 

•    This Pratihara king was vanquished by Krishna III, king of Rashtrakuta.

 

•    Rajyapala ruled between 960 and 1018 CE.

 

•    Rajyapala was forced to leave the battleground when Mahmud Ghazni stormed Kannauj. Murdered by Vindhyadhar Chandela.

 

•    He served as the last king of the Pratihara dynasty.

 

•    He ruled between 1024 and 1036 CE.

 

•    The Gandhavalas took control of Kannauj about 1090 CE.

 

•    The "tripartite struggle" constant battles between the Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom and other contemporary powers like the Palas and Rashtrakutas became a feature of their expansion.

 

•    Since the time of Harsha, Kanauj has been seen as a symbol of north Indian sovereignty. Control of Kanauj also implied control of the upper Gangetic valley and its abundant resources for trade and agriculture.

 

•    The Palas interfered in Kanyakubja's politics because they believed the Ayudhas to be weak, supporting one candidate for the throne and treating the 'king' as a feudatory.

 

•    In order to attack Kanyakubja (also known as Mahodaya at the time) and back their own candidate for the throne, as well as to battle the Palas on their behalf, as Vatsaraja did, the Pratiharas, who were the opponents of the Palas, now had a justification.

 

•    The Pratiharas were unable to govern the upper Gangetic valley and Malwa because the Rashtrakutas proved to be more than a match for them.

 

•    When the Rashtrakuta and Gurjara-Pratihara empires were both just getting started in the middle of the ninth century AD, the conflict over Malwa and Gujarat started.

 

•    They were vanquished by the Rashtrakuta rulers Govinda III (793–814 CE) and Dhruva Dharavarsha (780–793 CE). The Rashtrakuta-Pratihara rivalry, which was the epoch's distinguishing characteristic, is mentioned by Al-Masudi.

 

•    The Palas were able to impose their authority once more by installing their own candidate on the Kanyakubja throne thanks to Dhruva's win over Vatsaraja.

 

•    Despite Rashtrakuta victories, Kanyakubja became and remained the Pratihara capital under Nagabhata II and later Bhoja as they rebuilt their empire. The Rashtrakutas continued to battle and overthrow succeeding Pratihara monarchs well into the 10th century CE.

 

•    The conflicts that broke out between these dissimilar kingdoms were also influenced by geographical factors.

 

•    Any kingdom wanting greater wealth in terms of trade and the economy needed to maintain control over the regions connected by the Ganges River, which has been called "the highway of traffic linking up the entire country from Bengal to mid-India."

 

•    Similar to this, the Pratiharas continued to rule Gujarat because they needed to maintain control over south-western trade routes and maritime trade.

 

•    Because the north was so far from their base territories in the south, the Rashtrakutas could not afford to dwell there for an extended period of time.

 

•    A large portion of their expeditions consisted of raids that were conducted for the purposes of prestige, looting, gaining imperial glory, and establishing their own supremacy over other powerful dynasties in India.

 

•    It is important to note that this was a time when the Brahmanical faith was developing.

 

•    Vaishnava, Shaiva, Sakta, and Surya were the significant Brahmanic sects where the Brahmin had first-class privileges. The Brahmanical faith advanced throughout this period.

 

•    The building of temples and statues was regarded by the adherents of these groups as a religious responsibility. King and other wealthy persons donated to the temples to help them stay operational.

 

•    Siva was worshipped by Shaivas as Indra, Sankar, Pashupati, Yoga swami, Shambhu, and other monikers.

 

•    Kings like Vatsaraja, Mahendrapala, and Trilochanapala revered Siva.

 

•    In terms of administration, much of the Gupta Empire's (3rd century CE - 6th century CE) and Harshavardhana's ideas and practices were retained. The king was supreme and was assisted by a number of ministers and officials.

 

•    Numerous lesser kings and dynasties reigned as the king's vassals, and as such, they were required to be obedient, pay the king a certain tribute, create matrimonial relationships with the royal family, and provide armies as required.

 

•    Some regions, which were divided into districts (mandala or vishaya) and provinces (bhukti), were directly governed by the center.

 

•    They were ruled by a district head (vishayapati) and a governor (uparika), who were in charge of collecting land taxes and upholding law and order with the aid of army forces stationed in their respective regions.

 

•    The headman and other officials were paid by land grants, and the village continued to serve as the primary administrative unit as it had in the past.

 

•    However, many vassals, such the Paramaras and Chandellas of modern-day Bundelkhand (located in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh), sought independence and frequently engaged in conflict with the king.

 

•    The Pratiharas were able to give their citizens stability while still supporting the arts and literature despite their frequent wars.

 

•    Al-Masudi claimed that Juzr was around 2000 kilometers long and 2000 km wide, and it contained 18,000,000 villages, cities, and towns.

 

•    Poet Rajashekhara, who worked alongside Mahendrapala and Mahipala, produced a number of noteworthy works.

 

•    Numerous Hindu temples and structures were built, several of which are still standing today.

 

•    From the two centuries of Gurjara-Pratihara hegemony until 1019 AD, Kanauj rose to prominence as one of the Indian subcontinent's most significant hubs of art, culture, and trade.

 

•    The loss of Gujarat and the ensuing decline in international trade, particularly with Western Asia, had an effect on the economy.

 

•    Billon coins, or coins with a significant amount of base metal, were produced in the Ganga valley.

 

•    The Gurjara-Pratihara kings were ardent admirers of literature, art, and building. The dynasty's most renowned king was Mihir Bhoj.

 

•    Two prominent sculptures from this era are the Marriage of Siva and Parvati at Kannauj and the Viswaroopa form of Vishnu.

 

•    Walls of the temples of Osian, Abhaneri, and Kotah also include exquisitely carved panels.

 

•    The oldest large-scale Pratihara work that is still in existence is the magnificent Teli-ka-Mandir in the fort at Gwalior.

 

•    The Teli-ka-Mandir in Gwalior, which is dedicated to a Shakti worship, is made up of a closed portico, a double oblong shikhara, and an elevated rectangular mula prasada.

 

•    After Bhoja, the Pratiharas' military prowess waned and they endured defeat after defeat at the hands of succeeding monarchs.

 

•    The Rashtrakutas suffered heavy losses when Indra III (915-928 CE) routed Mahipala and entirely destroyed Kanyakubja in the early 10th century CE, and when Krishna III (939-967 CE) attacked once more in 963 CE.

 

•    Additional danger came from the Rajput feudatories of the Pratiharas since "the descendants of Mihira Bhoja had little of Gurjaradesha left in their hands, for each of the feudatories was seeking greater power for himself at the expense of his suzerain."

 

•    Due to the political structure of India at the period, almost every monarch who was captured would agree to serve as the conqueror's vassal but would continually seek for independence and seize the opportunity whenever it presented itself.

 

•    The Pratiharas were the same. The provincial governors and feudatories of the central power grew aggressive and eager to proclaim independence as a result of their vulnerability and attacks on the capital.

 

•    The outcome was that the empire crumbled and was reduced to a kingdom that only included the Kanyakubja region.

 

•    Until the Ghaznavid Turks eventually overthrew the Pratihara Empire at the beginning of the 11th century CE, the Pratihara kingdom remained in captivity.

 

•    They only held power for a short while; eventually, Indian kings, particularly those of the Gahadavala Dynasty (1080–1194 CE), took control of the region. 

 

From the beginning of the ninth to the middle of the tenth century, the Pratiharas ruled over north India for more than a century. Al- Masudi, a native of Baghdad who travelled to Gujarat in 915–916, attests to the enormous authority and reputation of the Pratihara kings as well as the size of their realm. He calls the Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom al-Juzr (an incorrect spelling of Gurjara), and the ruler is referred to as Baura, which is probably a mistaken pronunciation of Adivaraha, the title used at the time by Bhoja, even though Bhoja had already passed away.