Karkota Dynasty: Map & History
The Karkota dynasty ruled over the Kashmir valley and some northern parts of the Indian subcontinent during 7th and 8th centuries.
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The Karkota dynasty ruled over the Kashmir valley and some northern parts of the Indian subcontinent during 7th and 8th centuries. Their rule saw a period of political expansion, economic prosperity and emergence of Kashmir as a centre of culture and scholarship.
Modern Countries Once Part of Karkota Dynasty
At its mapped extent, Karkota Dynasty covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Karkota Dynasty's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Karkota Dynasty in Depth
History
Scholars disagree on the specifics of establishment of the Karkotas, though it is held that their establishment followed the rule of the Hunas in the region of Kashmir.
Kalhana's third book mentions of a Gonanda dynasty (II), which ruled for about 590 years till the establishment of the Karkotas; on cross-vetting with coins and inscriptions, names of some of these rulers are found to correspond with the Alchon Huns, who ruled hundreds of years later. Across the first three books, Kalhana reshuffles multiple names, retrofits the same stories, assigns abnormally long reigns, and telescopes some rulers into the past. Durlabhavardhana—the founder of the Karkotas—was held to be under the employment of Baladitya, the last ruler of the Gonanda dynasty (II).
Economy
Metallic coins as well as cowrie shells were used as currency. The state collected a variety of taxes—customs-levy, prostitution-levy, market-tax etc.—corruption was rampant and Damodaragupta takes frequent digs.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Karkota dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Karkota Dynasty: Key Facts
| Capital | Srinagar |
|---|---|
| Founded | 625 CE |
| Dissolved | 885 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q466433 (CC0).
Karkota Dynasty Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Karkota Dynasty appears, with the other states of the time.
Karkota Dynasty Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 208,995 km² in 640 CE.
Karkota Dynasty: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Karkota Dynasty exist?
The Karkota Dynasty is dated to 592 CE – 859 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Karkota Dynasty?
The capital of the Karkota Dynasty was Parihaspur.
How large was the Karkota Dynasty at its peak?
At its peak in 640 AD the Karkota Dynasty covered about 208,995 km².
How did the map of the Karkota Dynasty change over time?
The Karkota Dynasty appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 600 CE to 750 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Middle Ages • Capital: Constantinople
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Pataliputra, Ujjain
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Middle Ages • Capital: Chang'an