King Harsha of Thaneshwar

 King Harsha of Thaneshwar

Raja Harsha was a brave and wise king who ruled Thaneshwar in northern India about 1,400 years ago. He respected all religions. During his time, a famous Chinese monk and traveller named Xuanzang visited India.

**Quick facts**

- **Born:** 590 CE

- **Became king: ** 606 CE

- **Died: ** 647 CE

- **Religion: ** Buddhism

- **Capital: ** Thaneshwar

- **Father: **Prabhakar Vardhan

*CE means Common Era.*

1. The King’s Father Dies

Thaneshwar was a strong kingdom in northern India. King Prabhakar Vardhan ruled it. The Huns were causing trouble for the people, so the king sent his capable sons, Prince Harsha and Prince Rajyavardhan, to stop them. The princes defeated the Huns.

After the battle, Harsha went hunting. A soldier rode up to him and said that King Prabhakar Vardhan was very ill. Harsha and Rajyavardhan hurried back to Thaneshwar, but they were too late. Their father had died.

2. Rajyashri Is Taken Away

After the king died, an important noble said that Prince Rajyavardhan, the older son, should become the next king. Rajyavardhan was crowned. But Rajyavardhan wanted his brother Harsha to be king.

Harsha and Rajyavardhan had a sister named Rajyashri. Her husband, Grahavarman, was the king of Kannauj. Rajyashri hoped that he could help guide her young brothers.

Meanwhile, Devagupta, the king of Malwa, wanted to capture Thaneshwar and Kannauj. He made a plan. He said that if Grahavarman were killed, Harsha and Rajyavardhan would not be able to protect both kingdoms. A noble asked Devagupta how they could kill Grahavarman. Devagupta said they would dress up as farmers during the spring festival and attack him when he came to celebrate with his people.

Devagupta’s plan worked. Grahavarman was killed, and Devagupta also took Rajyashri away by force.

3. The Death of Devagupta

The draft does not tell us the full story of how Devagupta died. It only gives a link for more information.

4. Raja Harsh ka Tila

The ancient city of Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra helps us learn about India’s past from Vedic times. Kurukshetra has seen many important events. It was also attacked many times, which threatened its existence.

Thanesar, near Kurukshetra, was the capital of the Vardhana dynasty when Raja Prabhakaravardhana and his successor, the Sanskrit scholar Maharaja Harshavardhana, ruled. The city has many old ponds, temples, gurudwaras, battlefield sites and reminders of old times.

One lesser-known archaeological site in Thanesar is Raja Harsh ka Tila, or the mound of Raja Harsha. It was uncovered by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is next to Sheikh Chilli’s Tomb in Thanesar.

Excavations show that people lived there from the beginning of the Common Era and continuously from the 1st century to the 19th century. So far, six cultural periods have been found: Kushana, Gupta, Post Gupta, Vardhana, Rajput, and the periods of invaders—Delhi Sultanate and Mughal.

The mound is about 750 metres wide and 1 km long. It stands about 15 to 18 metres above the ground. Special old pottery called Painted Grey Ware, believed to be from the Kushana period, and Red Polished Ware from the Post Gupta period have been found. Several buildings made of bricks from these periods have also been unearthed. Experts judge the time period by the size and shape of the bricks and how they were built.

Parts of a garden complex and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal periods have been found. Many old objects from different periods have been found too. They make us wonder what life was like in this mound long ago—how people lived, what they believed, and how they built things.

References

- National Digital Library

- archive.org

- Google Books

- openlibrary.org

- https://www.historicalindia.org/article/raja-harsha

https://sahasa.in/2021/05/26/raja-harsh-ka-tila-thanesar-kurukshetra-district-haryana/

Thanesar, Haryana, India