Punjab and Sind at the time of Harsha

The greater part of the Punjab region between the rivers Vyas and Indus was Huna Kingdom when Huen Tsang visited India. He mentions the name of the tyrant Mihirkula who started to conquer the neighboring countries.

  • Mihirkula was hostile to Buddhism and is known to have destroyed Buddhist Monasteries.

During the visit of Huen Tsang, Sind was under a King of lower caste who patronized the Buddhism. Most parts of the central India were under the Control of Harsha. Harsha was the last native monarch prior to the Mohammeden conquest and was the paramount power of the North “Uttarapathpathi”. Death of Harsha loosened the bonds and the disruptive forces started working as they did whenever there was no great Central Power binding the smaller countries together. This divided India was saved for next 500 years from the foreign invasions except some excursions of the Arabs in Sind and Gujarat. From the death of Harsha till the raids of Mahamud of Ghazni, at the beginning of the 11th century, India was free to decide her destiny in her own fashion. The petty states when left to their own control, kept fighting with each other in the absence of a supreme Authority.


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