After the downfall of the Gupta Empire, North India splintered into several warrior kingdoms. Thaneswar, lying north of Delhi between the Sutlej and Yamuna, was formed into an independent state by the Pushyabhutis and rose to prominence under Harsha, who ruled a kingdom as large as that of the Guptas from 606 to 647 CE. After Harsha, the Pratiharas (Jalore-Rajasthan), the Palas (Bengal) and the Rashtrakutas (Deccan) fought a triangular contest for the Ganga–Yamuna doab.
1. North India after the Guptas
Except in the areas subdued by the Huns (modern Punjab, Rajasthan and Malwa), regional identity became pronounced with the emergence of many small states.
| Dynasty | Region / Capital |
|---|---|
| Maithrakas | Sourashtra (Gujarat), capital Valabhi |
| Maukharis | Agra and Awadh; capital Kanauj |
| Vakatakas | Recovered ascendency in the western Deccan |
| Pushyabhutis | Thaneswar, north of Delhi |