Pulakeshin II in the context of "Mangalesha"

Harshavardhana (Sanskrit: हर्षवर्धन; 4 June 590 – 647) was an emperor of Kannauj from April 606 until his death in 647. He was the king of Thanesar who had defeated the Alchon Huns, and the younger brother of Rajyavardhana, son of Prabhakaravardhana and last king of Thanesar. He was one of the greatest kings of the Kingdom of Kannauj, which under him expanded into a vast realm in northern India.

At the height of Harsha's power, his realm covered much of northern and northwestern India, with the Narmada River as its southern boundary. He eventually made Kanyakubja (present-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh state) his imperial capital, and reigned until 647 CE. Harsha was defeated by the Emperor Pulakeshin II of the Chalukya dynasty in the Battle of Narmada, when he tried to expand his empire into the southern peninsula of India.

The Chalukya dynasty (Kannada: [tʃaːlukjɐ]) was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty, known as the "Badami Chalukyas", ruled from Vatapi (modern Badami) from the middle of the 6th century. The Badami Chalukyas began to assert their independence at the decline of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of Pulakeshin II. After the death of Pulakeshin II, the Eastern Chalukyas became an independent kingdom in the eastern Deccan. They ruled from Vengi until about the 11th century. In the western Deccan, the rise of the Rashtrakutas in the middle of the 8th century eclipsed the Chalukyas of Badami before being revived by their descendants, the Western Chalukyas, in the late 10th century. These Western Chalukyas ruled from Kalyani (modern Basavakalyan) until the end of the 12th century.

The rule of the Chalukyas marks an important milestone in the history of South India and a golden age in the history of Karnataka. The political atmosphere in South India shifted from smaller kingdoms to large empires with the ascendancy of Badami Chalukyas. A Southern India-based kingdom took control and consolidated the entire region between the Kaveri and the Narmada rivers. The rise of this empire saw the birth of efficient administration, overseas trade and commerce and the development of new style of architecture called "Chalukyan architecture". Kannada literature, which had enjoyed royal support in the 9th century Rashtrakuta court found eager patronage from the Western Chalukyas in the Jain and Brahminical traditions. The 11th century saw the patronage of Telugu literature under the Eastern Chalukyas.

The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 Mālava) or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe and confederation. They are a federation attested in various states in North and Central India. The modern regions of Malwa (Punjab) and Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are eponyms attributed to them. Their power gradually declined as a result of defeats against the Western Satraps (2nd century CE), the Gupta emperor Samudragupta (4th century), and the Chalukya emperor Pulakeshin II (7th century).

The Malava era, which later came to be known as Vikram Samvat, may have been first used by them.

The Vishnukundina dynasty (IAST: Viṣṇukuṇḍina, sometimes Viṣukuṇḍin) was an Indian dynasty that ruled over parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha and other parts of southern India between the 5th and 7th centuries. They emerged as an independent power during the reign of Madhava Varma, who conquered coastal Andhra from the Salankayanas and established their capital at Denduluru near Eluru. Their rule significantly shaped the history of the Deccan region. However, their reign ended with the conquest of eastern Deccan by the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, who appointed his brother, Kubja Vishnuvardhana, as viceroy. Vishnuvardhana later declared independence, founding the Eastern Chalukya dynasty.