Tripartite Struggle

Kannauj Triangle War
	; The Pratihar Empire, The Pala Empire, and The Rastrakuta Empire in their respective peaks
Date	785–816
Location	Northern India
Result	Gurjaratra victory
Territorial; changes	Kingdom of Kannauj annexed to the Gurjara Empire
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders

The Tripartite Struggle (785–816), also called the Kannauj Triangle Wars, was a conflict in northern India involving the three Indian great powers of the era – Gurjaratra, Bengal, and Manyakheta under the Pratiharas, the Palas and the Rashtrakutas respectively. The war was fought over the control of the Kingdom of Kannauj.^[3]^: 20

Epigraphist Dineschandra Sircar however, added a different perspective to this struggle. According to Sircar, the struggle between the Gurjara-Pratihara and the Rashtrakuta had begun earlier than the struggle over the Kingdom of Kannauj. These two powers shared a common frontier in the Gujarat and Malwa regions. The frontier was a shifting one and far from permanent, causing enmity between the two powers. Even before the struggle over Kannauj started, Dantidurga, the founder of the Rashtrakuta Empire, had defeated Nagabhata I of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty, as evident from the Dashavatara Temple inscription of Dantidurga at Ellora and the Sanjan inscription of Amoghavarsha I, both belonging to the Rashtrakuta dynasty which states that Dantidurga (r. 735–756 CE) performed a religious ceremony at Ujjayani, and the king of Gurjara-desha (Gurjara country) acted as his door-keeper (pratihara),^[4]^[5] suggesting that the Rashtrakuta king had subdued the Gurjara-Pratihara king who was ruling Avanti at that time.^[6]

On the other hand, the conflict between the Palas of the Bengal Empire and the Ayudhas of the Kingdom of Kannauj was the continuation of an old power struggle that had started between Harshavardhana of the Kingdom of Kannauj and Sasanka of Gauda in the seventh century and would continue till the twelfth century. These regional struggles were escalated to a greater pitch over the issue of succession of the Ayudha dynasty. Also, the involvement of the four powers, i.e. the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire, the Pala Empire, the Rashtrakuta Empire, and the Kingdom of Kannauj meant that it was actually a four-power. After the attempts of conquering Kannauj by Vatsaraja and Nagabhata II were foiled by Rashtrakuta Kings Dhruva and Govinda III, leaving the city under Pala control, The Gurjaras succeeded in finally capturing the city of Kannauj during the reign of Mihir Bhoja, and the city remained their capital until the fall of the dynasty in 1036 CE.

^ Keay, John (2000). India: A History. Grove Publication. p. 198. ISBN 0802137970.
^ Vanina, Eugenia (2003). Indian history. Allied Publishers. pp. B-7. ISBN 9788184245684.
^ Sen, S.N. (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Delhi: Primus Books. ISBN 9789380607344.
^ V. B. Mishra 1966, p. 18.
^ Baij Nath Puri 1957, pp. 10–11.
^ Rama Shankar Tripathi 1959, p. 226-227.

[1] Keay, John (2000). India: A History. Grove Publication. p. 198. ISBN 0802137970.

[2] Vanina, Eugenia (2003). Indian history. Allied Publishers. pp. B-7. ISBN 9788184245684.

[Sen-3] Sen, S.N. (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Delhi: Primus Books. ISBN 9789380607344.

[FOOTNOTEV._B._Mishra196618-4] V. B. Mishra 1966, p. 18.

[FOOTNOTEBaij_Nath_Puri195710–11-5] Baij Nath Puri 1957, pp. 10–11.

[FOOTNOTERama_Shankar_Tripathi1959226-227-6] Rama Shankar Tripathi 1959, p. 226-227.

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Prehistoric Madrasian culture Soanian, c. 500,000 BCE Neolithic, c. 7600 – c. 1000 BCE Bhirrana 7570 – 6200 BCE Jhusi 7106 BCE Lahuradewa 7000 BCE Mehrgarh 7000 – 2600 BCE South Indian Neolithic 3000 – 1000 BCE
Ancient Indus Valley civilization, c. 3300 – c. 1700 BCE Post Indus Valley Period (Cemetery H Culture), c. 1700 – c. 1500 BCE Vedic civilization, c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE Kuru Kingdom, c. 1200 - c. 500 BCE Early Vedic Period Rise of Śramaṇa movement Later Vedic Period Spread of Jainism – Parshvanatha Spread of Jainism – Mahavira Rise of Buddhism Kingdom of Magadha Haryanka Dynasty c. 544 – c. 413 BCE Shaishunaga Dynasty c. 413 – c. 345 BCE Nanda Dynasty, c. 345 – c. 322 BCE Mahajanapadas, c. 500 – c. 345 BCE
Classical Kingdom of Magadha Maurya Dynasty, c. 322 – c. 185 BCE Shunga Dynasty, c. 185 – c. 75 BCE Kanva Dynasty, c. 75 – c. 30 BCE Sangam period Kushan Dynasty, c. 30 – c. 230 CE Satavahana Dynasty, c. 30 BCE – c. 220 CE Gupta Dynasty, c. 200 – c. 550 CE
Early medieval Chalukya Dynasty, c. 543 – c. 753 CE Harsha's Dynasty, c. 606 CE – c. 647 CE Karakota Dynasty, c. 724 – c. 760 CE Arab Invasion, c. 738 CE Tripartite Struggle, c. 760 – c. 973 CE Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty Rastrakuta Dynasty Pala Dynasty Chola Dynasty, c. 848 – c. 1251 CE 2nd Chalukya Dynasty, c. 973 – c. 1187 CE
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