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Harsha, the temple age, the Chola sea-empire and the coming of Turkish conquest.

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Early Medieval India · 606–1206 AD
Temples, Cholas & Rajputs

Early Medieval India

From Harsha's last great northern empire and the three-way struggle for Kanauj, through the temple-building age of the Hindu revival and the mighty Chola empire that sent its fleets across the Indian Ocean, to the raids of Mahmud of Ghazni and the Turkish conquest that opened a new era. Slide across six centuries of regional splendour — of soaring temples, bronze gods and warrior kings — as classical India gave way to the medieval world.

606 AD
Harsha of Kanauj
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606 AD

Harsha of Kanauj
  • Political

    Harsha's northern empire

    A coin of the emperor Harsha
    Via Wikimedia Commons

    Harsha reunites much of the north under one crown; the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visits his court.

7 milestones

Meanwhile

Around 606 AD

Full Chronicle

Early Medieval India

From Harsha's last great northern empire and the three-way struggle for Kanauj, through the temple-building age of the Hindu revival and the mighty Chola empire that sent its fleets across the Indian Ocean, to the raids of Mahmud of Ghazni and the Turkish conquest that opened a new era. Slide across six centuries of regional splendour — of soaring temples, bronze gods and warrior kings — as classical India gave way to the medieval world.

  1. Harsha of Kanauj

    • Harsha's northern empire

      Harsha reunites much of the north under one crown; the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visits his court.

  2. The Struggle for the North

    • The tripartite struggle

      Three great powers — Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas — fight for control of the Ganges and Kanauj.

  3. The Age of Temples

    • Shankara and the Hindu revival

      The philosopher Shankara renews Hindu thought as devotional bhakti and temple-building sweep the land.

  4. The Chola Empire

    • Rajaraja and the great Chola temple

      In the south, Rajaraja Chola raises a vast empire and builds the towering Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur.

  5. The Chola Empire

    • The Cholas cross the sea

      Rajendra Chola sends a great fleet across the Bay of Bengal to raid the empire of Srivijaya.

  6. The Raiders from the North-West

    • The raids of Mahmud of Ghazni

      Mahmud of Ghazni leads repeated raids into India, plundering its rich temples, including Somnath.

  7. The Turkish Conquest

    • The battle of Tarain

      Muhammad of Ghor defeats Prithviraj Chauhan at Tarain, opening northern India to Turkish rule.