Kannauj
Also called: Kanyakubja · Topic: Early Medieval North India: Harsha to the Rajputs · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries"; Class 7, Ch 4 "Turning Tides: The 11th and 12th Centuries"
Meaning
Kannauj, also called Kanyakubja, is a city on the Ganga in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Harshavardhana ruled north India from here in the 7th century CE, after moving from his earlier capital, Sthaneshvara. Kannauj controlled the rich Gangetic plains, so later dynasties fought hard to win it. Xuanzang saw it as a thriving city.
Example
After Harsha died in 647, three dynasties fought for Kannauj in the 8th and 9th centuries. They were the Palas, the Gurjara-Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas. This is called the Tripartite Struggle, and no side won it for good. Later, in 1018, Mahmud of Ghazni sacked Kannauj.
Don't confuse with
- Kanchi (Kanchipuram): a great city of south India and the capital of the Pallavas. It is not a city on the Ganga.
Related concepts
- Pushyabhuti dynasty
- Harshavardhana
- Banabhatta
- Harshacharita
- Kadambari
- Kamarupa
- Varman dynasty
- Prayaga assembly
- Xuanzang