History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c11.170

c11.170

XXXIX. Mo-kie-to or Magadha: Yuan Chwang does not mention in what relation this ancient kingdom stood to Kanauj, nor does he note the nature of its government. All the information he gives is that "in recent times" Śaśāṅka cut down the Bodhi Tree; and "a few months afterwards Pūrṇavarman, the last descendant of Aśoka on the throne of Magadha, brought the Tree back to life."¹ This Pūrṇavarman² must have lived in the beginning of the 7th century A. D., since he is represented here as the contemporary of Śaśāṅka, whose last date according to the Ganjam plate was 619 A.D. After Pūrṇavarman's death, probably Magadha passed under the jurisdiction of Harṣa, as the Chinese documents connected with his embassy to that country seem to style him "king of Magadha."³ Support for this view may further be found in the discovery of Harṣa's seals at Nalanda⁴ and from Yuan Chwang, who, describing the establishments around the Nalanda convent, records “a bronze temple in course of construction by king Śīlāditya,”¹ and we may be sure that this name could only have reference to the great king of Kanauj at this period.