GurjaraPratiharas

The Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty, also known as the Gurjara-Pratiharas, was a prominent medieval Indian imperial house that ruled large parts of northern and western India from roughly the 6th to the 11th centuries CE. The name reflects their claimed descent from the Gurjara (Gujjar) clan and the Pratihara title borne by their rulers. The early base was in western India, in what is now Rajasthan and Gujarat, with the dynasty later extending its influence into the Indo-Gangetic plains and controlling Kannauj at various times.

The Gurjara-Pratiharas emerged as a major power after the decline of earlier regional kingdoms and became a key force in northern India during the early medieval period. They played a central role in the Tripartite Struggle for Kannauj in the 8th–9th centuries, contending with the Pala and Rashtrakuta empires for supremacy over northern India. Their domain at various times encompassed large portions of present-day Rajasthan, Gujarat, Malwa, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The administration combined centralized authority with a network of feudatories, and the dynasty issued gold coins and supported temple-building, as well as patronage of learning and religion.

The height of their power waned in the 10th century, and the empire declined under pressure from rival dynasties and, eventually, incursions by Mahmud of Ghazni, who captured Kannauj in the early 11th century. By the 12th century, the dynasty fragmented and faded from the political scene, giving way to regional polities. The Gurjara-Pratihara legacy lies in their role as a major political and cultural force in northwestern India during the medieval period, influencing the political landscape, art, and temple-building of the region.