History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c18.s3.2

v1.c18.s3.2

We now came to Mid-India and the most important kingdom of Mid-India was of course Kanauj. The whole of Northern India or rather the present U. P. was then under the direct control of Kanauj and the rest of Hindustan was often under its nominal suzerainty. When Harsha died about 647 A. D. he left this vast empire without a claimant. He had no son. It is not clear whether Rājyaśri was then alive; even if she were, she too was not the proper heir and had no male issue. The kingdom or empire therefore at once plunged into anarchy and it is natural that usurpers should have found room for satisfying their ambition. But the story which Sir V. Smith and other historians here set forth about the usurpation of the whole kingdom by a minister named Arjuna or Aruṇāśva and his defeat by a Chinese envoy is unreliable and has most probably been misunderstood. It is from Chinese authorities that this story is taken and in that story the natural desire of the Chinese to exaggerate their own importance and valour is so evident that the story has only to be related to be at once rejected as unreliable. The Chinese envoy insulted by Arjuna, escaped into Tibet, it is related, and returned with 1200 picked Tibetan soldiers supported by a Nepalese contingent of 7000 horsemen (Nepal being at this time subject to Tibet). "With this small army the envoy Wang-hiuen-tse descended into the plains and after a siege of three days succeeded in storming the chief city of Tirhut. Three thousand of the garrison were taken prisoners and 10000 were drowned in the river Bāgmati. Arjuna fled and having collected a fresh force offered battle. He was again defeated and taken prisoner. The victor promptly beheaded a thousand prisoners and obtained more than 30000 horse and cattle. Five hundred and eighty walled towns offered their submission and Kumāra the king of Eastern India who had attended Harsha's religious assemblies sent abundant supplies of cattle and accoutrements. Wang-hiuen-tse took the usurper prisoner to China and Tirhut remained subject to Tibet for some time."—(Smith's Early Hist. of India 3rd Edn. p. 353).