North India and the Deccan after the Guptas

SMALL KINGDOMS IN THE NORTH
The Hunas faded out after Mihirakula. It is possible that they were slowly absorbed into Hindu society. Their inva­sion paved the way for political disintegration. After the Gupta empire broke up, north India was again divided into a number of petty independent states.

MAITRAKAS OF VALABHI In Saurashtra (Kathiawar), the ruling family belonged to the Maitraka clan. The founder of the kingdom was Bhatarka. The capital was Valabhi. In the seventh century, Dhruvasena II married the daughter of Harsha of Kanauj. It was probably during the time of Dhruvasena IV that the celebrated Sanskrit epic Bhattikavyam or Ravanavadham was composed by Bhatti. The kingdom was probably overthrown by the Arabs of Sind.

MAUKHARIS OF GAYA We get the names of three Maukhari kings mentioned in the Barabar and Nagarjuni inscriptions, who ruled in Gaya (Bihar) following the end of the Gupta rule. Yajnavarma was the first ruler of the Gaya branch of the Maukharis.

MAUKHARIS OF KANAUJ The Maukharis were prob­ably kshatriyas. The most important branch of the family flourished in the Gangetic valley and is generally associated
with Kanauj. The first important member of thisbranch was Isanavarman who claimed victory over the Andhras, the Sulikas of Orissa, and the Gaudas. There was a long duel between the Maukharis and the 'Later Guptas'. The kingdom was finally merged with the kingdom of Thaneswar.

THE LATER GUPTAS They were at first feudatories of the Imperial Guptas. Those parts of the Gupta dominions which had not been formed into independent kingdoms came into their posses­sion, and they became the residuary legatees of theGupta empire. The first powerful and independent, ruler of the dynasty was Kumara Gupta. However, the most powerful ruler was Adityasena, who took the title of Parama-Bhagavata and got a temple of Vishnu constructed. The rule of the later Guptas came to an end towards the middle of the eighth century AD. The Apsad inscription from Gaya gives the name of eight late-Gupta kings.

GAUDAS OF BENGAL The greatest king of this dynasty was Sasanka who fought against th~ rulers of Thaneswar and Kanauj. Sasanka had entered into an alliance with Devagupta of Malwa to remove Grahavarman, the Maukhari ruler. However, not much is known about the history of the Gaudas
before and after Sasanka.