The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c30.84

c30.84

The reigning king of Tibet, the famous Srong-tsan Gampo, who was married to a Chinese princess, succoured the fugitives, and supplied them with a force of twelve hundred picked soldiers supported by a Nepalese contingent of seven thousand horsemen, Nepāl at that time being subject to Tibet. With this small army Wang-hiuen-tse descended into the plains, and, after a three days' siege, succeeded in storming the chief city of Tirhūt. Three thousand of the garrison were beheaded, and ten thousand persons were drowned in the neighbouring river, perhaps the Bāgmatī. (?) Arjuna fled, and having collected a fresh force, offered battle. He was again disastrously defeated and taken prisoner. The victor promptly beheaded a thousand prisoners, and in a later action captured the entire royal family, took twelve thousand prisoners, and obtained more than thirty thousand head of horses and cattle. Five hundred and eighty walled towns made their submission during the course of the campaign, and Kumāra, the king of Eastern India, who had attended Harsha’s assemblies a few years earlier, sent in abundant supplies of cattle and accoutrements for the victorious army. Wang-hiuen-tse brought the usurper as a prisoner to China, and was promoted for his services. Afterwards, in A. D. 650, when the emperor T‘ai Tsung died and his mausoleum was erected, the approach to the building was adorned by statues, which included the effigies of the Tibetan king, Srong-tsan Gampo, and of the usurper, (?) Arjuna. Tirhūt apparently remained subject for some time to Tibet, which was then a powerful state, strong enough to defy the Chinese empire. Thus ended this strange episode, which, although known to antiquaries for many years, has hitherto escaped the notice of the historians of India.