The North Indian empire of Harshavardhana (reigned about 606 to 647 CE) of the Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) dynasty, ruling from Kannauj, the last major empire of ancient northern India before the early medieval period.
- Harsha shifted his capital to Kannauj and brought much of northern India under his control, but his southward advance was checked by the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II at the Narmada.
- His reign is well documented by the Sanskrit work Harshacharita written by his court poet Banabhatta, and by the account of the Chinese pilgrim Hsuan Tsang (Xuanzang), who visited during this period.
- Harsha was himself an author, credited with three Sanskrit plays: Nagananda, Ratnavali, and Priyadarshika.
- He patronised Nalanda university and held grand religious assemblies, notably the Kannauj assembly and the Prayag (Allahabad) assembly held every five years.
- After his death the empire disintegrated, and northern India entered a phase of regional kingdoms, leading into the Rajput period.
Banabhatta and the Harshacharita, the Hsuan Tsang visit, Harsha's own plays, the check by Pulakeshin II, and the Prayag assembly are recurring facts for the end of the ancient period.
Hsuan Tsang visited during Harsha (7th century), while Fa-Hien visited during the Guptas (Chandragupta II); Pulakeshin II (Chalukya) defeated Harsha's southern push, not the reverse.
Harsha of Kannauj (606 to 647 CE), described in Banabhatta's Harshacharita and by Hsuan Tsang; checked by Pulakeshin II; patron of Nalanda.