Death of Harsha and division of the empire

Name: Death of Harsha and division of the empire
Start: 647

Type Event Region India Time 647

Around 647 CE, Harsha, unifier of northern India, died; his vast empire quickly collapsed for lack of a stable heir, ending the political integration…

Timeline

647Kannauj · IndiaHarsha died near his capital Kannauj without a son; the empire depended heavily on his personal authority and military alliances, and his death immediately created a succession vacuum.
647–650Northern Indian plains · IndiaAccording to Xuanzang, the minister Arjun attempted to usurp the throne, triggering civil disorder; after central authority collapsed, vassals and local regimes broke away, the Harsha Empire became a mere name, and northern India returned to a pattern of rival states.

Sources

Records of the Western Regions (大唐西域记) — 玄奘 (646)
Ancient India — R. C. Majumdar (1952)