History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c7.2

v1.c7.2

The detailed information given in the records of the indefatigable Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang who came to India in the beginning of 631 A. D. and who left it about the end of 643 A. D. supplies us with a very full account of the state of this country during the latter half of the reign of Harsha; an account which is strongly corroborated by epigraphic and other evidence available. Hiuen Tsang often gives us the names of particular kings and also invariably the characteristics of the people touching their disposition, religion and history, information which is very useful to the student of early Indian history. The records and his life composed originally in Chinese have been translated by European scholars and are available to us in an English garb. These accounts have also been subjected to scrutiny by noted researchers like Sir A. Cunningham who has succeeded in identifying most of the places and kingdoms mentioned by the Chinese traveller and subsequent scholars have added to the information thus noted by Sir A. Cunningham in his well-known book 'Ancient Geography of India.' All these scholars have thus laid students of India a history under a deep debt of obligation which cannot but be acknowledged at this stage when we proceed to summarise this information in a table specially prepared for the perusal of the general reader. This table gives the name of each kingdom visited by Hiuen Tsang in order, the name of the king if any and in a third column such valuable information about the people and the country as is thought interesting and useful. (See Note.) From this evidence and from the epigraphic evidence available we shall try in this chapter to describe the important kingdoms in India at this time, and the kings who ruled them.