KARKOTA DYNASTY ,DURLABHA VARDHANA( 627-633 A.D):

Karkotas were descedents of Nagas (earliest settlers in the valley) and the dynasty of kings,as such, was called Karkota Nagas.

DURLABHA VARDHANA( 627-633 A.D):

The first king of the dynasty namely, Durlabhavardhana, rose to eminence by sheer dint of merit and it was by virtue of his qualities of head and heart that he superseded the hereditary claimants to the throne.Right from the day of his accession.(627 A.D) he took steps to subjugate all the neighbouring states surrounding the valley.He ruled efficiently and was known for generosity and sense of Justice.It was during his reign that the famous Chinese traveler Heiun-Tsiang visited the valley and during his stay of three years as a royal guest, recorded the various historical events which help in understanding the conditions that prevailed during Durlabhavardhana.

From the account of Heiun-Tsiang it can be concluded safely that the king, in spite of being inclined towards Buddhism, did not interfere in the religious matters of his subjects who were mostly Shivaites.