History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c9.s1.t10.12

c9.s1.t10.12

The same passage, which records Sarvavarman's successful encounter with his Gupta rival also informs us that the "proudly stepping array of mighty elephants belonging to the Maukhari ... had thrown aloft in battle the troops of the Hūṇas (in order to trample them to death).”¹ Now, who were the Hūṇa opponents of Sarvavarman? There are indications in the *Harṣacarita* that the Hūṇas had retained their hold in the north-west, in spite of their expulsion from Central India. Prabhākaravardhana had fought against them and towards the close of his reign he had to send the crown-prince again to defend the frontiers of the kingdom against their attack. Probably these Hūṇas began their movements during the time of Sarvavarman, and being a great power in Northern India the Maukharis were then called upon to hold these nomads in check. The Vardhanas were not strong in this generation, and, as Thānesvar lay between Kanauj and the Hūṇa territories in the south-east of the Punjab, it may not be unreasonable to suppose that Sarvavarman’s undertakings against the Hūṇas were a sort of help given to the Vardhanas to repel their depredations and save northern India from another Hūṇa upheaval.