History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c22.s1.13

v1.c22.s1.13

These inscriptions and the eras noted in them are discussed by the well-known antiquarian Pandit Bhagavanlal Indraji in Ind. Ant. Vol. XIII p. 411 along with the traditional dynastic lists preserved in Nepal also given by him and by Dr. Wright who in his history noticed above summarises one such Vamśāvali given him by a Buddhist monk. These Vamśāvalis are all legendery but contain very many real facts buried under imaginary stories. Now Pandit Bhagavanlal rightly observes that Amśuvarman in these inscriptions is the same Amśuvarman who is spoken of by Hiuen Tsang as ruling in Nepal about his time. He appears to have been a Thakuri or Rajput and originally a Sāmanta or feudatory of the Lichhavi king of Nepal named Śivadeva; but gradually to have assumed real sovereignty himself. Now his first inscription is dated Samvat 34. This Samvat is clearly, therefore, the Harsha era. The Vamśavali history as given by Dr. Wright at Chap. III p. 133 says that the first king of the new dynasty was Amśuvarman. Just before this at p. 131 it is stated that Vikramājit a powerful monarch of Hindustan founded a new era and came to Nepal to introduce his era here. Now this is a second mention of the coming of Vikramājit and Pandit Bhagavanlal is correct in holding that this refers to the conquest of Nepal by Harsha and the introduction of his era, the legend confounding him with the Vikrama of 57 B. C. The change in the era in the inscriptions also indicates the same thing. This inscription with the garbled story of the Vamśāvalis and Hiuen Tsang's account combine to prove that Harsha conquered Nepal and introduced his era there most probably in the days of Śivadeva Licchavi. This conquest may be looked upon as attested to even by Bāṇa when he says in the Harsha Charita गृहीतः दुर्गायाः हिमसुवः करः