Harsh Vardhan (c. 590–647) is an Indian emperor who rulesnorthern India from 606 to 647.

He is the son of Prabhakara Vardhana and the younger brother of Rajya Vardhana, a king of Thanesar, Haryana.

At the height of his power, his kingdom spas the Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Orissa and the entire Indo-Gangetic plain north of the Narmada River.After the downfall of the prior Gupta Empire in the middle of the 6th century, North India reverts to small republics and small monarchical states ruled by Gupta rulers.

Harsha is a convert to Buddhism.

He unites the small republics from Punjab to central India, and their representatives crown Harsha king at an assembly in April 606 giving him the title of Rajaputra when he is merely 16 years old.