History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c11.26

c11.26

As the Harṣacarita stubbornly refuses to give any better clue to the suzerainty of Harṣa, we must now turn to our next guide, the indefatigable Chinese pilgrim, for help in unravelling the apparent indefiniteness of the power and influence of Kanauj over the surrounding territories. It may be noted here that the Records of Yuan Chwang are no political gazetteer. He came to India, defying the difficulties and hardships presented in his progress by both nature and man, on a mission that was primarily Buddhistic in its outlook and purpose. He makes only incidental references to the political status and government of different states, and as such they are all the more valuable and trustworthy. We should, therefore, analyse the testimony of Yuan Chwang in conjunction with that of the Life and indigenous epigraphs, and try to deduce conclusions as to the extent of the kingdom of Kanauj after learning the exact political conditions and status of the kingdoms of the North which Yuan Chwang visited, or of which he had heard. Extravagant claims about Harṣa's jurisdiction have been made; so we make no apologies for this detailed discussion regarding all the kingdoms of the north, beginning from the extreme north-western frontiers.