Pulakeshin II, the famous early medieval ruler who defeated Harsha on the Narmada, belonged to which Indian dynasty?

Introduction / Context:
Pulakeshin II is one of the most prominent rulers of early medieval India and is especially remembered for his successful resistance against the north Indian emperor Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada. His reign marks a high point in the political and cultural history of the Deccan. Examinations often use his name to test whether you can correctly identify the dynasty he belonged to and place him in the correct regional context. This question focuses on that basic but important association.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The ruler mentioned is Pulakeshin II. - The clue is that he defeated Harsha on the Narmada. - Options are Cholas, Satavahanas, Guptas and Chalukyas. - We assume knowledge of major Deccan dynasties and their notable kings.

Concept / Approach:
Pulakeshin II was the most famous king of the Early Western Chalukya dynasty, often called the Chalukyas of Badami. He ruled a large empire in the Deccan and is known from both inscriptions and accounts by the Chinese traveller Xuanzang. The Cholas were a powerful Tamil dynasty of the deep south, the Satavahanas were an earlier Deccan dynasty that preceded the Chalukyas, and the Guptas were a north Indian dynasty whose peak had passed before Pulakeshin II's time. Thus, the correct dynastic label for Pulakeshin II is Chalukyas.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Pulakeshin II is associated with the Early Western Chalukyas, whose capital was at Vatapi or Badami in present day Karnataka. Step 2: Remember the famous conflict between Pulakeshin II and Harshavardhana, in which Pulakeshin checked Harsha's southward expansion at the Narmada river. Step 3: Recognise that the Chalukyas were a Deccan power, distinct from the Cholas of Tamil country and from the Guptas of north India. Step 4: Note that the Satavahanas ruled earlier and that there is no major Satavahana king named Pulakeshin II. Step 5: Confirm that among the options, the only dynasty historically linked to Pulakeshin II is the Chalukyas.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks on early medieval India give detailed accounts of Pulakeshin II's reign and explicitly call him a Chalukya ruler. The Aihole inscription, which records his achievements, is central to this identification. Art historical discussions of the rock cut temples at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal also refer to them as Chalukya monuments, reinforcing the link between this dynasty and Pulakeshin II. Such consistent evidence makes it easy to verify that Chalukyas is the correct answer and that the other dynasties do not fit the description.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Cholas are wrong because they are primarily associated with later rulers such as Rajaraja I and Rajendra I in Tamil Nadu, not with Pulakeshin II in the Deccan.

Satavahanas are wrong because they belong to an earlier period and have different royal names such as Gautamiputra Satakarni.

Guptas are wrong because they are a north Indian dynasty whose golden age ended before the rise of Pulakeshin II, and there is no Gupta ruler by that name.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse different south Indian and Deccan dynasties because many names and regions overlap. Another pitfall is to assume that any powerful early medieval ruler must belong to the Guptas, who are famous from a slightly earlier era. To avoid these mistakes, it is helpful to memorise a simple association: Pulakeshin II – Early Western Chalukyas – Badami – victory over Harsha at Narmada. This compact mental pattern will help you answer several related questions correctly.

Final Answer:
Pulakeshin II was a ruler of the Chalukya dynasty.