Last Days of the Maukharis
Summary
The article examines the late history of the Maukharis, a royal family of Uttarapradesa in ancient India, focusing on the period immediately following the death of Grahavarman. The author argues that a younger son of Avantivarman, identified as Suva or Suvra, succeeded Grahavarman as the legal heir to the Maukhari throne of Kanauj. This younger son then governed the less important territory of Magadha until his death around A.D. 641, when it was absorbed by Harsavardhana. The author relies on a combination of epigraphic evidence and literary sources to support this reconstruction. Key evidence includes the Asirgadh seal of Sarvavarman, which establishes the initial Maukharis, and a Nalanda seal belonging to Avantivarman and his unreadable son, who the editor A. Ghosh suggests could be Suva. The Harsacarita by Banabhatta is used to establish that Grahavarman was the eldest son of Avantivarman who married Rajyasri. The author also utilizes the Aryamanjusrimilakalpa, which lists a succession of kings including Graha (Grahavarman) and Suva. K. P. Jayaswal's commentary on this text is cited to confirm that Suva succeeded Grahavarman, fitting the known Maukharis genealogy. The author dismisses the possibility that Avantivarman survived Grahavarman's death, concluding that Harsavardhana deposed Suva to occupy Kanauj.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
This study reconstructs the final phase of the Maukharis through an analysis of epigraphic and literary evidence. Key findings establish that Avantivarman succeeded Sarvavarman, followed by the ill-fated Grahavarman. The surviving Nalanda seal of an unreadable name, likely Suva or Sucha, is identified as the younger brother of Grahavarman and the legal heir to the throne. This identification aligns with the *Aryamanjusrimulakalpa*, which lists a successor named Suvra after Grahavarman. The implications are that following Grahavarman's death, this younger son, Suva-Suvra, briefly ruled Kanauj before being deposed by Harsavardhana. Consequently, Suva-Suvra retreated to Magadha, where his lineage likely continued until the territory was absorbed by Harsavardhana around 641 A.D., thereby resolving the succession crisis and marking the definitive end of the Maukharis in Kanauj.