History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c7.6

v1.c7.6

The divergence between the testimony of Hiuen Tsang and Chachanāma with regard to the caste of the ruling king in Sind leaves us in a doubt as to whether Sāhasi II was then ruling there or Chandra, brother of Chacha. But there is no doubt as to who was then ruling in Valabhi or Eastern Kathiawar, the next most important kingdom in Northern India. Hiuen Tsang describes the ruler of this kingdom very vividly. "He was a Kshatriya by caste and a son-in-law of Harsha. His name was Dhruvabhata. He was hasty of temper and young but a devout Buddhist." He is subsequently described as often accompanying Harsha on his march and he was present at the great alms-giving assemblage held at Prayāga where Hiuen Tsang was the presiding priest in 643 A. D. Epigraphical evidence is amply corroborative in this connection. The ruling family of Valabhi was founded by Senāpati Bhatārka, who came from Ayodhyā, during the troubles of the Huns about the beginning of the sixth century (some place this in 485 A. D.). Their grants testify to their history and power and they were generally worshippers of Siva though Dhruvabhata the son-in-law of Harsha was a Buddhist. It was undoubtedly a premier Kshatriya family, for the premier Kshatriya family of later Indian history, namely, the Sisodiyas of Udaipur derive their descent from this family of Valabhi. It is therefore not improbable that Harsha gave his daughter in marriage to this king because he was a Kshatriya king, as his father had given Rājyaśrī in marriage to Grahavarmā, another well-known Kshatriya king of his days. In fact, then as now, kings tried to give their daughters to kings of unquestioned Kshatriya lineage for as Bāṇa says (H. C., p. 200) सत्स्वप्यन्येषु वरगुणेषु अभिजनमेवानुरुध्यन्ते धीमन्तः “Among other good qualities of a bridegroom wise men look to good lineage alone.”