History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c17.s2.t1.4

c17.s2.t1.4

He says : “This Baüüra who is the king of Kanauj is an enemy of the Balhara, the king of India.” Further he gives a rough indication of the dimensions of the kingdom of Kanauj, which according to him extended about one hundred and twenty square parasangas of Sindh, each parasang being equal to eight miles of this country. We are also told that the king of Kanauj maintained a large army both for aggression and defence. “He has large armies in garrisons on the north and on the south; on the east and on the west, for he is surrounded on all sides by warlike kings.” In another passage Mas‘ūdī gives the huge numbers of the army : “The king has four armies according to the four quarters of the wind. Each of them numbers 700,000 or 900,000 men.” Lastly, the traveller indicates the political disposition of the times, and mentions some of the powers that had relations with Kanauj. “The army of the north wars against the prince of Multan, and with the Musulmans, his subjects, on the frontier. The army of the south fights against the Balhara, king of Mankir. The other two armies march to meet enemies in every direction.” From these brief references it is clear that to an observant foreigner Kanauj appeared as the leading state of northern India, whose western limits extended upto Sindh, and whose ruler kept other kingdoms in awe and subjection by his vigilant forces.¹