History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c5.3

v1.c5.3

When the seventh century of the Christian era opened Prabhākaravardhana of Thanesar was undoubtedly the premier king of Northern India. He had defeated and humbled the Huns who, notwithstanding their signal defeat in the previous century by the combined forces of India led by Yaśodharma of Malwa and Bālāditya of Magadha, were still a powerful people in the Panjab and had their kingdoms at Gāndhāra or Peshawar and at Śākala or Sialkot still in existence. He had defeated the ruling kings of Sind and Gurjara, the chief state in Rajputana, and had also conquered the kings ruling in Malwa and Gujarat at the close of the sixth century.¹ In the eastern portion of Northern India the Maukharis of Kanauj held sway very probably as far east as the Brahmaputra called Lauhitya in ancient days and southwards as far as the Vindhya range which extends accross India into Magadha; and they were connected with him by marriage, his daughter Rājyashrī being married to Grahavarmā of Kanauj. Thus Prabhākaravardhana of Thanesar was in 605 A. D. by far the most powerful king in Hindustan and he was well justified in assuming the title of Mahārājādhirāja Paramabhattāraka, whereas his father¹ and grandfather were simply Mahārājas, as the seal of Harsha found at Sonpat shows.