History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c23.2

v1.c23.2

Hiuen Tsang mentions in the Panjab the following kingdoms or rather tracts that were independent kingdoms at one time; for many of them in his time were subject to Kashmir. He mentions on coming into India proper after crossing the Indus:-1 Taxila (Rawalpindi) 2 Sinhapura (Salt range tract bounded on the west by the Indus) and 3 Uraśa (Haripur or Hazara). These kingdoms were formerly subject to Gāndhāra but were then under Kashmir. The fact appears to be that when the Hun empire fell, Kashmir made itself master of most of its Indian provinces. The seat of the Hun power was at Gāndhāra and it had even engulfed Kashmir; but Kashmir regained its independence under Pravarasena when Mihirakula was defeated by Yaśo-dharman of Mandsaur about 500 A. D. Kashmir grew stronger still under the Karkota dynasty before the very time of the visit of Hiuen Tsang, i. e about 600 A. D. and ruled over Taxila, Sinhapura* and Uraśa. The next kingdoms mentioned by him are 4 Punach and 5 Rajapuri or Rajauri. These were also subject to Kashmir and were in fact normally so. The next kingdoms mentioned are 6 Tekka 7 Chinabhukti, 8 Jalandhara 9 Kuluta and 10 Satadru. We do not know much of Chinabhukti which was probably only a province (Bhukti) and is mentioned by Hiuen Tsang because it was once inhabited by some Chinese princes. We know very little also of Kuluta and Satadru where no kings are mentioned and which probably were subject to Kanauj in his time, for Hiuen Tsang mentions that the Sutlej was to the west of this Satadru kingdom. We get some information about Tekka and Jalandhara from contemporary records which we proceed to relate.