The death of Harsha was followed by a struggle for power in north India by many dynasties; Kanauj was the centre of all these struggles. Many of these dynasties called themselves Rajputs. The name Rajput came from Raja-putra, sons of kings.
The Pratiharas, the Gahadavalas, the Palas, the Senas, the Chahamanas or Chauhans, the Chandellas, the Kalachuris, the Guhilas, the Solankis and the Paramaras were some of the known kingdoms of this period. The Pratiharas ruled over the area around Jodhpur while the Gahadavalas ruled over most of Uttar Pradesh. The Palas remained in power till the 1150s.
The Chauhans ruled in Shakambhari in the 7th century AD. Prithviraj Chauhan was the last Chauhan ruler. For a long time, the Chandellas controlled the land of the Pratiharas. They later became independent and ruled Bundelkhand. During their rule, the Chandellas built many important temples, the most famous among them being those at Khajuraho, in Madhya Pradesh.
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