New Empires and Kingdoms Class 6 Notes – Quick Revision
New Empires and Kingdoms Class 6 notes explain the Guptas, Samudragupta’s prashasti, Harshavardhana, the Pallavas and Chalukyas, new forms of administration, samantas, local assemblies and the evidence historians use to understand ordinary life.
2026–27 learning note: this is a legacy chapter from NCERT’s older Our Pasts–I History book. The current Class VI Social Science textbook is Exploring Society: India and Beyond, which uses an integrated structure. This page keeps the older chapter useful for historical understanding and revision without presenting it as the current chapter sequence.
| Topic | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Prashasti | A praise inscription; historians use it as evidence but also recognise its political purpose. |
| Samudragupta | Known especially from Harishena’s Sanskrit prashasti on the Prayagraj/Allahabad pillar. |
| Harshavardhana | Ruled in the 7th century CE; known from Banabhatta, Xuanzang and other evidence. |
| Pallavas | Capital at Kanchipuram; important in south India and associated with monuments at Mamallapuram. |
| Chalukyas | Capital at Vatapi (Badami); Pulakeshin II is known from Ravikirti’s Aihole inscription. |
| Administration | Officials, local elites, samantas and assemblies all played roles in governing kingdoms. |
Watch & Learn: One English + One Hindi Lesson
English: New Empires and Kingdoms – Full Chapter
This public Magnet Brains lesson covers Samudragupta, prashastis, Harsha, Pallavas, Chalukyas, administration, armies, assemblies and the legacy NCERT exercise.
If the player does not load, open the English lesson on YouTube.
हिंदी: नए साम्राज्य और राज्य – पूरा अध्याय
यह सार्वजनिक Ritesh SST पाठ कक्षा 6 इतिहास के इस अध्याय को हिंदी में समझाता है—समुद्रगुप्त, प्रशस्ति, हर्षवर्धन, पल्लव, चालुक्य, प्रशासन और अभ्यास सहित।
यदि वीडियो लोड न हो, तो YouTube पर हिंदी पाठ खोलें.
Prashastis and Samudragupta
A prashasti is a composition written “in praise of” a ruler. Samudragupta’s famous prashasti was composed in Sanskrit by his court poet and minister Harishena and inscribed on the pillar now at Prayagraj (Allahabad). It praises Samudragupta as a victorious warrior, learned ruler, poet and musician.
Because a prashasti was meant to glorify a king, historians do not read it as a neutral report. They compare its claims with inscriptions, coins, archaeology and other texts. Harishena’s composition is still extremely valuable because it records Samudragupta’s genealogy, campaigns and political relationships.
Different Policies toward Different Rulers
- Aryavarta: rulers in parts of northern India were defeated and their territories were incorporated more directly.
- Dakshinapatha: twelve southern rulers are listed; they were defeated but allowed to rule again after accepting Samudragupta’s authority.
- Frontier regions: neighbouring rulers and groups acknowledged his power through tribute, obedience or attendance at court.
- Distant rulers: the inscription also presents relations with rulers beyond the core empire as evidence of Samudragupta’s prestige.
Genealogies and Gupta Titles
Royal inscriptions often included genealogies—lists of ancestors used to establish legitimacy and dynastic continuity. Samudragupta’s father was Chandragupta I, who used the title maharajadhiraja (“great king of kings”). Samudragupta also used grand royal titles.
Harshavardhana and the Harshacharita
Harshavardhana (Harsha) rose to power in the early 7th century CE, first ruling from Thanesar and later making Kanauj an important centre. His court poet Banabhatta wrote the Harshacharita, a biography that praises the ruler and gives information about his court and times.
The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang also recorded observations from Harsha’s period. In the Deccan, the Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin II checked Harsha’s southward expansion; Ravikirti’s Aihole inscription is an important source for this conflict.
Pallavas, Chalukyas and Their Capitals
The Pallavas were an important south Indian dynasty whose capital was Kanchipuram in present-day Tamil Nadu. Mamallapuram became famous for Pallava-period rock-cut and monolithic monuments.
The Chalukyas of Badami ruled large parts of the Deccan. Their capital was Vatapi (Badami) in present-day Karnataka. Pulakeshin II was one of their most famous rulers, and his achievements were praised by his court poet Ravikirti in the Aihole inscription.
How Were These Kingdoms Administered?
Land revenue remained a major source of income, but rulers depended on many layers of administration. Some posts became hereditary, and influential local people—landholders, merchants, craft leaders and scribes—could participate in governance.
- Kumaramatya: an important official or ministerial rank in Gupta administration.
- Sandhivigrahika: an officer concerned with peace and war or diplomatic affairs.
- Nagara-shreshthi: a leading banker or merchant in a city.
- Sarthavaha: leader of a merchant caravan.
- Prathama-kulika: a leading craftsman.
- Kayasthas: scribes or record-keepers mentioned in administrative contexts.
A New Kind of Army and the Samantas
Kings continued to maintain armies with infantry, cavalry, elephants and, in the legacy account, chariots. Another important development was the growing role of samantas—military leaders or subordinate rulers who could receive land or revenue rights and provide troops when required.
This arrangement could strengthen a ruler when samantas were loyal, but it also created a risk: powerful samantas could try to become independent when central authority weakened.
Assemblies in the Southern Kingdoms
- Sabha: an assembly of Brahmin landowners, often working through committees that dealt with matters such as irrigation, agriculture, roads and temples.
- Ur: a village assembly in areas where landowners were not predominantly Brahmins.
- Nagaram: an organisation of merchants.
These institutions show that local administration did not depend only on the king. At the same time, participation was not equal: inscriptions suggest that wealthy and powerful landowners and merchants had greater influence.
What Do We Know About Ordinary People?
Older summaries often reduce this topic to “ordinary people were badly treated,” but the evidence is more complex. Historians use plays, travel accounts, inscriptions and archaeology to study farmers, craft workers, traders, servants and marginalised communities.
Some sources describe sharp social inequalities and discriminatory practices, including exclusion of communities treated as “untouchable.” These sources are important evidence, but each reflects the viewpoint and purpose of its author, so historians compare several kinds of evidence before drawing conclusions.
Key Terms
- Prashasti: a praise composition, often inscribed to glorify a ruler.
- Genealogy: a record or list of ancestors.
- Dakshinapatha: literally “route to the south”; also used for southern regions.
- Samanta: a subordinate ruler or military leader who owed service to a more powerful king.
- Sabha: an assembly of Brahmin landowners in parts of south India.
- Ur: a village assembly.
- Nagaram: an organisation of merchants.
Quick Timeline
| Approximate period | Development |
|---|---|
| 4th century CE | Samudragupta’s reign and Harishena’s pillar prashasti. |
| 5th century CE | Gupta power continued under later rulers; Fa Xian travelled in the subcontinent during this broader period. |
| Early 7th century CE | Harshavardhana rose to power in north India. |
| 7th century CE | Pulakeshin II ruled the Chalukyas; Ravikirti’s Aihole inscription praised his achievements. |
| 6th–8th centuries CE | Pallava and Chalukya power shaped politics in southern India and the Deccan. |
5-Minute Source Activity
Take one statement from a prashasti, one statement from a traveller’s account and one archaeological find. For each, write: What does this source tell us? and What can it not prove by itself? This is the best way to understand how historians build an argument from different kinds of evidence.
Quick Self-Test
- Who composed Samudragupta’s prashasti?
- What is a genealogy?
- Who wrote the Harshacharita?
- Name the capitals of the Pallavas and Chalukyas of Badami.
- What were sabha, ur and nagaram?
Answers: (1) Harishena. (2) A record or list of ancestors. (3) Banabhatta. (4) Kanchipuram and Vatapi/Badami. (5) Local institutions: sabha was an assembly of Brahmin landowners, ur a village assembly, and nagaram an organisation of merchants.
New Empires and Kingdoms FAQs
Can a prashasti be treated as completely objective history?
No. A prashasti was written to praise a ruler. It is valuable evidence, but historians compare it with coins, archaeology and other inscriptions before accepting every claim literally.
Was Aihole the capital of the Pallavas?
No. The Pallava capital was Kanchipuram. Aihole is important because of Ravikirti’s inscription praising the Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin II.
Is this exact chapter part of the current 2026–27 Class 6 NCERT sequence?
No. The exact title belongs to the older Our Pasts–I History book. The current Class VI Social Science book is Exploring Society: India and Beyond.
Leave a Reply