Who among the following usurped power in Kanyakubja after the death of Harshavardhana ?
- A.Adityasena
- B.Arunashva
- C.Shashanka
- D.Lalitaditya
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Arunashva. When Harshavardhana died around 647 CE without an heir, his minister Arunashva, also called Arjuna, seized the throne of Kanyakubja (Kannauj). Soon after, a Chinese embassy led by Wang Xuance reached India and was attacked by Arunashva's men. Wang Xuance escaped, gathered troops from Tibet and Nepal, defeated Arunashva and carried him as a prisoner to China. This episode is known from Chinese records, and after it Harsha's empire broke up into small kingdoms. Kannauj later became the prize of the tripartite struggle between the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Palas and the Rashtrakutas. Option A is wrong because Adityasena was a Later Gupta ruler of Magadha who rose after Harsha's death but did not usurp Kannauj. Option C is wrong because Shashanka, the king of Gauda and Harsha's rival, died before Harsha. Option D is wrong because Lalitaditya Muktapida was an eighth-century Karkota king of Kashmir. Exam tip: Harsha's death, Arunashva usurped Kannauj, defeated by Wang Xuance with Tibetan help.
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