History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c18.s3.4

v1.c18.s3.4

Who succeeded Harsha at Kanauj is not known. But natural it is that his death was a signal for a political as well as a religious revolution. Buddhism under Harsha's imperial encouragement had had its last lustre, all the effulgence which preceeds death and it may be believed that the forces of Hinduism which were already gathering strength even during the life time of Harsha (as evidenced by the attempt on Hiuen Tsang's life at Prayāga) became supreme after his death and it may be surmised that both Harsha and Rājyaśrī being gone, an orthodox Hindu claimant of the original Varmā family seated himself on the throne of Kanauj. In the provinces of the empire dependent states and even governors must have become independent. These, at the same time, being strongly inclined towards the reviving Hinduism were opposed to Buddhism. Arjuna was one such petty governor or ruler of Tirhut or modern Bihar. The Chinese Buddhistic mission probably to Buddha Gayā which came to India in 647 A.D. had to pass, on leaving Nepal, through the territory of this Tirhut governor and it was probably set upon by this orthodox Hindu petty Raja who might have entertained a deadly hatred towards these Chinese Buddhistic missions, now that Harsha no longer lived. The envoy escaped, went back to Tibet, obtained some aid from that country and Nepal and fought with this petty Raja of Tirhut and perhaps even took him prisoner; Kumāra who was friendly to Hiuen Tsang and to Harsha and to Buddhism may have assisted the Chinese envoy with supplies. In short it was a purely local affair and Arjuna cannot be supposed to have seized the throne and power of Harsha himself.