History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c13.s1.14

v1.c13.s1.14

The Pratihāri or the usher of the king was an important personage about him. The head usher had several subordinates under him. The head Pratihāri of Harsha is minutely described by Bāṇa as a tall, gold-complexioned, broad-chested man with his body encased in a fresh washed kanchuka or coat, wearing a golden belt about the waist, provided with a jewelled buckler, a necklace about his chest, and kundalas in his ears, a white turban on his head, a pearl-hilted sword in his left hand and a golden wand in his right (H. C. p. 98). The Pratihāri is always called Kanchuki which shows that he alone used a coat. His white turban is also peculiar to him for the others had usually bare topknot hair surmounted by garlands. This description probably proves that like the Yavanī attendants, the Kanchuki was also borrowed from the Persian court.