Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t9.8

v2.c10.s3.t9.8

Under the circumstance, since there are not many historical works about ancient India, ‘*Harṣacarita*’ has a very high historical value. A large number of figures and events, such as Tonghu and Chunhu in Malava, Skandagupta, leader of elephant troops and minister Bhaṇḍi, Rājyavarddhana’s death from a conspiracy have been proven by inscriptions and some historical materials. This shows that Bāṇa is not only a literati living in the royal palace, but an excellent official historian. The book *Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang* mainly describes the reign of late Siladitya period, while Harṣacarita tells us stories about Siladitya’s early life, and both books complement each other. At the same time, Harsacarita presents an all-round and vivid picture of the Indian social lives in Siladitya’s time, which involves a wide range of fields like caste, profession, religion, art, cloth, customs etc.