The State in Ancient India: A Study in the Structure and Practical Working of Political Institutions in North India in Ancient Times c16.2

c16.2

The interval between the destruction of the Gupta empire towards the close of the 5th century A.D. and the rise of the Vardhana empire at the dawn of the 7th century A.D. is again an interregnum of confusion and obscurity. The coins and inscriptions supply some names of kings, some outline of certain events such as the invasion, devastation, and the repulse of Huns but they throw little light on institutions. The literature of the period, however, frequently touches on politics. It is not free from difficulties. The dates of the various works are doubtful. The whole literature is bound to the tradition of the past and attempts consciously to move in the old groves. On the other hand, it has suffered from later interpolations. Its data can be held true only in a very general manner and for a rather long period extending beyond the interregnum into subsequent centuries. Once again, its details, precisely worked out and all very fascinating, must be neglected as predominantly theoretical. From the political point of view the extant literature may be viewed under the categories of Dharma Śāstras, Purāṇas and classical literature.