The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c30.19

c30.19

A courier brought the distressing intelligence that king Grahavarman Maukhari, husband of Rājyaśrī, sister of the princes, had been slain by the king of Mālwā,¹ who cruelly misused the princess, ‘confining her like a brigand’s wife, with a pair of iron fetters kissing her feet’, at Kanauj. Rājya-vardhana, resolute to avenge his sister’s wrongs, started at once with a mobile force of 10,000 cavalry; leaving the elephants and heavy troops behind in his brother’s charge. The king of Mālwā was defeated with little effort, but the joy of victory was turned into sorrow by the receipt of intelligence that the victor had been treacherously slain by the vanquished king’s ally, Saśānka, king of Central Bengal,² who had inveigled Rājya-vardhana by fair promises to a conference, and had assassinated him when off his guard. Harsha was further informed that his widowed sister had escaped from confinement, and fled to the Vindhyan forests for refuge; but no certain news of her hiding-place could be obtained.