Harshavardhana after consolidating his Empire under his own supremacy had conducted his campaign of "Digvijay" to become the paramount lord of north India. At that time emperor Pulakeshin II was busy achieving conquests, in order to win the status of supreme aristocracy down south. Harsha however could not willingly endure the powerful existence of a rival in the neighbourhood and wanted to overthrow him. But to depose such a powerful enemy like Pulakeshin II was not an easy task for Harshavardhana. Since the kingdoms of Gujrat, Malava and Gurjaras were hostile towards Pushyabhuti house, hence they voluntarily allied with the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, in order to protect themselves from the aggression of Harsha against them. Thus circumstantial situations made the war between Harshavardhana and Pulakeshin II inevitable. From the accounts of Hiuen Tsang it is known that Harsha had taken aggressive attitude in his campaign against Pulakeshin II. He had raised an army, trained them and personally also had led the army against Pulakeshin II. However it appears that Harsha had failed to overpower the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II. Whether Harsha himself had suffered a defeat in Pulakeshin`s hand is however not clear because Hiuen Tsang`s accounts, which are the chief source of the Chalukya War of Harshavardhana, are too vague on this point. However there is controversy again regarding this issue. Later V. Smith has provided a satisfactory theory that Harsha had led his army southward upto the passes of Narmada, where he was resisted by Pulakeshin. According to him Harsha`s Empire was limited upto the northern part of river Narmada. The kingdoms of Gurjaras, Gujrat and Malavas, though were situated in the northern part of Narmada, never had submitted themselves to Harsha; rather they existed as feudatories of Pulakeshin II.
