Banabhatta, also known as Bana, was the court-poet of Harsha, a great and famous ruler in ancient India who ascended the throne in 606 AD at the age of sixteen. Some of Harsha’s fame is due to the fact that his reign is well documented compared to other ancient Indian rulers. And credit goes to Bana who has left a detailed and florid account of the events leading up to Harsha’s rise to power in his magnum opus Harshacharita (The Deeds of Harsha). Harshacharita, a historical work of top order, is written in ornate poetic prose. Kadambari is another work attributed to Bana.
Since Bana was patronized by Harsha, he has been accused of being biased towards the king. However, this court-poet has the temerity to "reject the whole rigmarole of royal divinity as the works of sycophants.” Bana also condemned the custom of Sati.
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