Harshavardhana was born in Thaneswar, Haryana in the Pushyabhuti or Vardhana Dynasty and reigned from AD 606-647. He became king at age 16 after his brother Rajyavardhana was killed by Sasanka, the Gauda king of West Bengal who had also imprisoned Harshavardhana's sister Rajyashri. Harshavardhana then defeated Sasanka and expanded his kingdom to include the region south until the Narmada River. During his reign, he supported Buddhism and oversaw the development of sites like Nalanda University.