Nagabhata II

Indian king

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June 17, 2026

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Nagabhata II was a significant ruler of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty in medieval India, reigning during the 8th and 9th centuries CE. He is known for expanding the dynasty's influence, particularly by capturing Kannauj and establishing it as his new capital. This move made him the most powerful ruler in northern India at the time, following a period of complex wars involving the Pratiharas, Rastrakutas, and Palas. Under Nagabhata II and his successors, Mihira Bhoja and Mahendrapala, the Pratihara empire reached its zenith in prosperity and power, rivaling the earlier Gupta empire in territory. However, after Mahendrapala's death, dynastic strife and external invasions, such as the one by the Rastrakuta king Indra III, weakened the empire, leading to a gradual decline.1

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India
The tripartite struggle
Vatsaraja’s successor, Nagabhata II (reigned c. 793–833), reorganized Pratihara power, attacked Kannauj, and for a short while reversed the situation. However, soon afterward he was defeated by the Rashtrakuta king Govinda III (reigned 793–814), who in turn had to face a confederacy of southern powers that kept…
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Vatsaraja’s successor, Nagabhata II (reigned c. 793–833), reorganized Pratihara power, attacked Kannauj, and for a short while reversed the situation. However, soon afterward he was defeated by the Rashtrakuta king Govinda III (reigned 793–814), who in turn had to face a confederacy of southern powers that kept…
Read More

Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty
…both he and his son Nagabhata II seem to have accepted Rastrakuta suzerainty for a time. In the complicated and badly documented wars of the early 9th century—involving Pratiharas, Rastrakutas, and Palas—Nagabhata II played an important part. About 816 he invaded the Indo-Gangetic Plain and captured Kannauj from the local…
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…both he and his son Nagabhata II seem to have accepted Rastrakuta suzerainty for a time. In the complicated and badly documented wars of the early 9th century—involving Pratiharas, Rastrakutas, and Palas—Nagabhata II played an important part. About 816 he invaded the Indo-Gangetic Plain and captured Kannauj from the local…
Read More