History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c11.s5.11

c11.s5.11

At this point we must also explain the other statement of Yuan Chwang that Harṣa “reigned in peace for thirty years without raising a weapon."¹ This is how Watters has translated the passage, but the text does not appear to be quite clear, as Beal renders it thus : "After thirty years his arms reposed, and he governed everywhere in peace."² If Beal's interpretation were accepted, it would convey the sense that Harṣa carried on warfare for thirty years, after which his authority was established and he reigned in peace. If Watters' rendering be correct, how are we to reconcile this statement of Yuan Chwang with his other information that Harṣa had made an attack on the Kongoda (Ganjam) region as late as A. D. 643? I, therefore, venture to throw out a suggestion. The Chinese pilgrim probably meant that at the time of his visit Harṣa's reign had been peaceful internally, and the home-provinces had enjoyed the blessings of orderly government for thirty years. We know that when Harṣa was called upon to occupy the throne, both the kingdoms of Thanesvar and Kanauj were passing through an acute crisis. Prabhākara and Rājyavardhana had died within a short space of time, and there were perhaps some fears of a recrudescence of the Hūṇa danger. The Maukhari dominions had also suffered serious losses and reverses owing to the combined attack of Devagupta of Malwa and Śaśāṅka of Gauḍa. Kanauj itself had fallen and the political conflagration threatened even to consume his ancestral kingdom. Harṣa, however, instead of losing nerve at that juncture acted promptly and decisively, and by his energy and military courage succeeded in overawing Śaśāṅka and recovering the lost ground. Soon the storm subsided and Harṣa established internal security and stability of government within a comparatively short period. It was to this protracted quiet in the kingdom that Yuan Chwang makes pointed reference, since we also know on his authority that rebellions and internal upheavals were not of rare occurrence in those days.¹ But the success of his internal government did not mean any peace to him in his foreign relations. He was frankly imperialistic in his outlook, and the Kongoda campaign in 643 A. D. proves beyond doubt that he had to undertake military expeditions intermittently almost till the close of his momentous reign. It is difficult to determine with certitude how long he took to annex Orissa and Bengal, but from the fact that Śaśāṅka was in power till A. D. 619, it seems reasonable to conclude that the event must have occurred after that date—say, sometime between 620 A. D. and 625 A. D., the exact year of Śaśāṅka's death being unknown.²