Harshavardhana's works include Nagananda, Ratnavali, and Priyadarshika, among others.
Harshavardhana (c. 590–647 CE) was an
Indian ruler who reigned from 606 to 647 CE in North India. He was a part of the Vardhana dynasty, and the junior sibling of Rajyavardhana, a ruler of Thanesar, current Haryana, who fought the Alchon Huna invaders.
Harsha's Empire spanned most of North and Northwestern India at its peak, with the Narmada River serving as its
southern border. He finally built Kannauj (now Uttar Pradesh) his capital and reigned there till 647 CE. When Harsha attempted to spread his Empire into the southern peninsula of
India, he was destroyed by the south Indian Emperor Pulakeshin II of the Chalukya dynasty at the Battle of Narmada.
His court became a center of cosmopolitanism as a result of the calm and wealth that reigned, drawing intellectuals, artists, and spiritual pilgrims from all over the world. Xuanzang, a Chinese pilgrim, attended Harsha's court and published a glowing description of him, applauding his fairness and kindness. Harshacharita, authored by
Sanskrit poet Banabhatta, chronicles his relationship with Thanesar, as well as the fortification wall, a moat, and the palace with a two-story Dhavalagriha.