Tripartite Struggle: Gurjara Pratiharas

The Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty controlled North India from the sixth to the eleventh century.
The dynasty’s name is a mixture of two words: Gurjara, which is said to allude to the territory of present-day Gujarat, and Pratihara, which means “doorkeeper” or “guardians of the west” in Sanskrit.
The Gurjara-Pratiharas are often referred to as the Pratihara Empire.

Nagabhata I (730-756 CE) – Founder of the Dynasty
Vatsaraja (775-800 CE) – Expanded the empire
- Defeated Dharmapala of Pala empire
Nagabhatta II (800-833 CE) – Fought Rashtrakuta king, Govinda III
Bhoja I (836-885 CE) – He adopted the title of Adivaraha, Mihir and Prabhasa
- Follower of Vaishnavism
- An account of Bhoja is given by the Arab historian Sulaiman.
Mahendrapala I (885-910 CE)- He was also known as ‘Mahendrayudha’ and ‘Nirbhayanarendra’
- Patron of learned persons.

Teli-ka-Mandir, Gwalior- It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Matrikas.
- It combines architectural elements from the Nagara and Valabhi Prasada styles.
- The temple is designed in the Gurjara Pratihara-Gopagiri style of North Indian architecture.
- The temple is a great example of a “musical harmonics” architectural design.
Mahavira Jain Temple, Rajasthan- Oldest surviving Jain temple in Western India.
Mihira Bhoja minted numerous coins whose images became well-known like coins featuring a boar, an avatar of Vishnu, and the solar emblem, etc.
Karpuramanjari, Bala-Ramayana, Bala Bharata, Kavyamimansa, Bhuvana Kosha and Haravilasa are works of Rajashekara, guru of Mahendrapala I.

The weakness of the Dynasty resulted in feudatories who became independent states like the Paramaras of Malwa, the Chandelas of Bundelkhand, the Kalachuris of Mahakoshal, the Tomaras of Haryana, and the Chahamanas of Shakambhari.
In 916, Emperor Indra III of the Rashtrakuta dynasty briefly captured Kannauj, but the Pratiharas regained control.
The Gurjara-Pratiharas lost control of Rajasthan to their feudatories, and the Chandelas captured the strategic fortress of Gwalior in central India around 950.
In 1018, Mahmud of Ghazni captured Kannauj, and Pratihara ruler Rajapala fled.