In the Footsteps of the Guptas (Late-5th to Early-9th CE)

The end of the 5th and the beginning of the 6th century CE was a time of great upheaval in Northern India. The downfall of the Imperial Guptas with the invasion of the Alchon Huns caused much turmoil in Northern and Central India. The centralised hold of the Gupta administration faltered when the kingdom splintered and many smaller vassals rose to prominence.

One city that stood out among all these is today a series of archaeological mounds that hold within them the secrets of this era. It is the site of Kannauj on the southern banks of the Ganges, in Kannauj District of Uttar Pradesh. Today, a medium-size district headquarters, this site's location is pivotal for the history of Northern and Central India for 500 years, from the 5th to the 10th centuries CE. It was the capital of numerous dynasties and was coveted by many others. It was from here that the story of these times was written.