Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty

Unit 02

 Primarily pastoralists and fighters.

 Dynasty was founded by Harichandra in and around Jodhpur, south western Rajasthan
 Pratihara were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the Indus River
 Pratihara means "DOOR KEEPER".
 Dynasty attained prominence in 8th Century mainly during the reign of NAGABHATTA-I
 Sanskrit Poet & Dramatist Rajashekara lived in the court of Mahendrapala I – son of
Mihir Bhoja.
 Foreign traveller Al-Masudi had visited Pratihara Empire

Important Rulers
Nagabhatta I (730-760)

 Most famous Pratiharas kings, known for checking Arab armies.

 He defeated the Arab army under Junaid and Tamin during the Caliphate campaigns in
India.
 Defeated by Rashtrakuta king Dhruva.

Vatsaraja (780-800)

 Made Kannauj in western U.P as his capital

 His Expansionist policy brought him into conflict with Dharmapala, the Pala king and
Rashtrakuta king Dhruv, thus began Tripartite Struggle and continued for about another
350 years.

Nagabhata II (805–833)

 He conquered Kannauj and the Indo-Gangetic Plain as far as Bihar from the Palas, and
again checked the Muslims in the west.
 He rebuilt the Shiva temple at Somanath in Gujarat, which had been demolished in an
Arab raid from Sindh.

Bhoja I/ Mihir Bhoja (836 885)

 Greatest ruler of Pratiharas, got victories over Palas and Rashtrakutas.

 Capital at Kannauj, which also known as Mahodaya.
  Barah copper plate inscription, there is mention his military camp i.e., Skandhavara at
Mahodaya.
 Was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and adopted the title of 'Adivaraha
 He made Teli mandir Gwalior Dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Matrikas,’

Mahendrapala

 Empire reached its peak of prosperity and power.

 Fought a battle with the king of Kashmir but had to yield to him some of the territories in
the Punjab won by Bhoja
 Took the title Maharajadhiraja of Aryavarta (Great King of Kings of Northern India).
 His court was adorned by Rajashekara, who was an eminent Sanskrit poet, dramatist
and critic who wrote:
o Karpuramanjari: A famous play written in Sauraseni Prakrit to please his wife,
Avantisundari, a woman of taste and accomplishment. He is perhaps the only
ancient Indian poet to acknowledge a woman for her contributions to his literary
career.
o Kavya Mimamsa (around c.880−920 CE): A practical guide for poets that
explains the elements and composition of a good poem.
o Prapanch Pandav
o Balabharata

Mahipala I (913–944 CE)

 Defeated by the Rashtrakuta King Indra III, who completely devastated the city of
Kannauj
 Gujarat passed into the hands of the Rashtrakutas in this period, in all likelihood, as Al
Masudi in his accounts mentions that the Pratihara Empire had no access to the sea.

Rajyapala (960–1018 CE)

 The Rashtrakuta king Krishna III invaded north India and defeated the Pratihara ruler.
 Raid of Mahmud Ghazni on Kannauj; Rajyapala fled from battlefield.

Yashpala (1024–1036 CE)

 Last ruler of this dynasty

 By 1090 CE, the Gahadvalas conquered Kannauj
Gurjara Pratihara Art
 There are notable examples of architecture from the Gurjara-Pratihara era, including
sculptures and carved panels.
 Their temples, constructed in an open pavilion style.
 Maru-Gurjara architecture.
 Temples built during this period
o Mahavira Jain temple, Osian
o Bateshwar Hindu temples complex (MP) → Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti
o Baroli temples complex (Raj)

End of Gurjara Pratihara

 Successive reigns of incapable rulers in Pratiharas saw rising influence of the
feudatories.
 They had started asserting their will for independence and eventually with the raid of
Ghaznavids, Pratiharas were wiped off.
 Eventually, we saw the rise of
o CHAUHANS in Rajput
o CHALUKYAS in Gujarat
o PARAMARAS in Malwa