| Pratihāras | |
|---|---|
 Pratihara coinage of Mihira Bhoja, King of Kannauj. Obverse: Boar, incarnation of Vishnu, and solar symbol. Reverse: Traces of Sasanian type. Legend: Srímad Ādi Varāha "The fortunate primaeval boar".[1][2][3] | |
| Country | Kingdom of Gurjara Kingdom of Kannauj Branches: Nagod State |
| Place of origin | Gurjaradesa |
| Founded | 730 |
| Founder | Nagabhata I |
| Final ruler | Yasahpala |
| Seat | Ujjain Kannauj |
| Titles | Maharajadhiraja of Āryāvarta Maharajadhiraja of Kannauj |
| Branches | |
The Pratihara dynasty, also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Pratiharas of Kannauj or the Imperial Pratiharas, was a prominent medieval Indian dynasty which ruled over the Kingdom of Kannauj. It initially ruled the Gurjaradesa until its victory in the Tripartite Struggle in 816 which secured its right to the throne of Kannauj. Cadet branches of the dynasty ruled other minor states in the subcontinent.
The Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the Indus River.[4] Nagabhata I defeated the Arab army under Junaid and Tamin in the Caliphate campaigns in India. Under Nagabhata II, the Pratiharas became the most powerful dynasty in northern India. He was succeeded by his son Ramabhadra, who ruled briefly before being succeeded by his son, Mihira Bhoja. Under Bhoja and his successor Mahendrapala I, the Pratihara dynasty reached its peak of prosperity and power. By the time of Mahendrapala, the extent of its territory rivalled that of the Gupta Empire stretching from the border of Sindh in the west to Bengal in the east and from the Himalayas in the north to areas past the Narmada in the south.[5][6] The expansion triggered a tripartite power struggle with the Rashtrakuta and Pala empires for control of the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Imperial Pratihara took the title of Maharajadhiraja of Āryāvarta (Great King of Kings of Aryan Lands).
Pratihara are known for their sculptures, carved panels and open pavilion style temples. The greatest development of their style of temple building was at Khajuraho, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[7]
The power of the Pratihara dynasty was weakened by dynastic strife. It was further diminished as a result of a great raid led by the Rashtrakuta ruler Indra III who, in about 916, sacked Kannauj. Under a succession of rather obscure rulers, the dynasty never regained its former influence. Their feudatories became more and more powerful, one by one throwing off their allegiance until, by the end of the tenth century, the dynasty controlled little more than the Gangetic Doab. Their last important king, Rajyapala, was driven from Kannauj by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018.[6]
- ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur; Edwardes, Stephen Meredyth (1924). The early history of India : from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan conquest, including the invasion of Alexander the Great. Oxford : Clarendon Press. p. Plate 2.
- ^ Ray, Himanshu Prabha (2019). Negotiating Cultural Identity: Landscapes in Early Medieval South Asian History. Taylor & Francis. p. 164. ISBN 9781000227932.
- ^ Flood, Finbarr B. (20 March 2018). Objects of Translation: Material Culture and Medieval "Hindu-Muslim" Encounter. Princeton University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-691-18074-8.
- ^ Wink, André (2002). Al-Hind: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam, 7th–11th Centuries. Leiden: BRILL. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-391-04173-8.
- ^ Avari 2007, p. 303.
- ^ a b Sircar 1971, p. 146.
- ^ Partha Mitter, Indian art, Oxford University Press, 2001 pp.66