Ratnavali

King Harsha, who was the ruler of Kanauj from A.D. 606 to 647, was a patron of art and literature. Great Sanskrit poets like Bana Bhatta were in his court. Harsha himself was a poet and playwright. He wrote three Sanskrit plays: Nagananda, Priyadarshika and Ratnavali. Harsha took the material for this plays from Gunadhya's Brihatkatha, a treasure house of stories. Ratnavali and Priyadarshika have similar plots ad Udayana, the legendary king of Kaushambi, is the hero of both. Harsha was adept at contriving dramatic situations and intrigue. This earned him the title 'Nipuna Kavi' the skillful poet.