The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c11.22

v1.c11.22

³ *JASB*, Vol. XIV, 1845, Part I, pp. 78 and 80. In the original Kanauj is spelt (قنوج). It has been asserted by some scholars that 'Kinnauj is not Kanauj' but only 'a dependency of Multan.' Rāī Harchandar, son of Jahtal Rāī, the contemporary of Muḥammad Qāsim is of course otherwise unknown to history (*Elliot*, I, p. 208). But as Multan was one of the parts of *as-Sind*, in this period, and as it is asserted that the limits of the latter extended up to Kashmir and Kanauj, it is more likely that the chronicler was referring in a vague way to the boundaries of the empire of Kanauj, which spread over a large portion of Northern India in the 7th century A.D. At that period the western limits of this kingdom were not beyond the reach of possible raids from Multan. Possibly Muḥammad raided some of these western provinces which once belonged to the famous empire of Kanauj. The confusion of the scholars mentioned above must have been caused by the statement of Mas‘ūdī that the king of Kanauj was one of the kings of Sind. Mas‘ūdī should not, however, be taken here to refer to the modern boundaries of Sind, for in another place he includes Kashmir also in Sind. It should be noted that Mas‘ūdī never says that the city of Kanauj was a dependency of Multan or that it is on the banks of one of the Punjab rivers. The city which is thus located by him was called Ba‘ūrah (بؤورة Pratihāra?) after the title of the kings of Kanauj. This city originally belonged to Kanauj, but was apparently conquered by the Amīrs of Multan and formed a part of their principality. A careful analysis of Mas‘ūdī leaves us in no doubt that by his Ba‘ūrah (بؤوره) of Kanauj (قنوج) he is referring to the Gurjara-Pratīhāra kings of that city. History does not know of a second Kanauj, near about Multan during this period. See *Elliot*, I, 405; *NA*, p. 566; *EHI*, 4th Edition, p. 359, fn. 1; *CHI*, Vol. III, p. 7.