Harishena
Harishena | |
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Dharma-Mahārāja | |
Reign | c. 480 – 510 CE |
Predecessor | Vakataka |
Vakataka dynasty c. 250 - 510 CE | ||||||||||||||||
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Nandivardhana-Pravarapura Branch | ||||||||||||||||
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Vatsagulma Branch | ||||||||||||||||
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Harishena (r. c. 480 – 510 CE[1]) was the last known ruler of the Vatsagulma branch of the Vakataka dynasty. He succeeded his father Devasena. Harishena was a great patron of Buddhist architecture, art and culture, with the World Heritage monument of Ajanta being his greatest legacy. He is also credited with many conquests. The end of Harishena's reign and the ultimate fate of the Vatsagulma branch is shrouded in mystery, as it seems the Vakataka dynasty came to an end not long after the death of Harishena.
Reign
Harishena was the most powerful of the Vakataka rulers of the Vatsagulma branch. The Ajanta cave inscription of Harishena's minister Varahadeva describes the king's influence extending over many countries including
Harishena's contemporary in the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch of the Vakataka dynasty was Prithivishena II, the last king of that branch. Nothing definite is known about the relations between the Vakatakas of Vatsagulma and the Vakatakas of Nandivardhana-Pravarapura during this time.[2] However, it seems that Harishena assumed leadership over both branches of the Vakataka dynasty following the death of Prithivishena II.[7] The greater wealth and importance of the Vatsagulma branch compared to the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch is reflected in the archaeological record of this period. Whereas in the first six decades of the fifth century there is a wealth of material from the kingdom of Nandivardhana-Pravarapura, there is very little that can be attributed to the later period. In stark contrast, the period after the 460s saw the kingdom of Vatsagulma producing its own stunning art and architecture, which surpassed that of its contemporaries in the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch.[8]
Ajanta Caves
The monumental rock-cut caves at Ajanta offer the greatest examples of Vakataka art and architecture. The Ajanta caves are best known for their wall paintings, which are among the most magnificent that survive from ancient India; they have been described as representing "the pinnacle of an ancient tradition."
Successors and the end of Vakataka rule
Harishena seems to have been succeeded by two rulers whose names are not known. Despite the power and influence that Harishena enjoyed during his lifetime, the disintegration and collapse of the Vakataka kingdom seems to have occurred very rapidly after Harishena's death in about 510. The circumstances surrounding the fall of the Vakataka kingdom remain unclear. By about 550, the
References
- ISBN 9788173051234.
- ^ a b c D.C. Sircar (1997). Majumdar, R.C. (ed.). The Classical Age (Fifth ed.). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 186–187.
- ISBN 9788131716779.
- ^ A.S. Altekar (1960). Yazdani, Ghulam (ed.). The Early History of the Deccan. Oxford University Press. pp. 187–188.
- ISBN 9069801000.
- ISBN 9788120800434.
- ^ Altekar (2007), p. 110
- ^ Bakker (1997), p. 40
- ISBN 978-1-136-63979-1.
- ^ Spink, Walter, M. (2009). Ajanta: Defining Features, in Indica, Vol.46, No.1, Mumbai: Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture, pp.3–38
- ISBN 81-219-0887-6, pp.590–91
- ^ Nashik district e-gazetteer – History, ancient period Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Altekar (2007), p. 114
- ^ Altekar (2007), p. 115