Coins issued by Harsha

This is natural because we do not have too

many coins issued by Harsha

In the empire of Harsha law and order was

not well maintained. The Chinese pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, about whom special care

may have been taken by the government, was robbed of his belongings, although

he reports that according to the laws of the land severe punishments were

inflicted for crime.

Robbery was considered to be a second

treason for which the right hand of the robber was amputated. But it seems that

under the influence of Buddhism the severity of punishment was mitigated, and

criminals were imprisoned for life.

Hsuan’ Tsang’s Account

The reign of Harsha is important on account

of the visit of the Chinese’ pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, who left China in A.D. 629

and travelled all fifer way to India. After a. long stay m India, he returned

to China in A.D. 645. He had come to study m the Buddhist University of Malanda

situated m the district of the same name in Bihar and to collect Buddhist texts

from India.

The pilgrim spent many years m Harsha’s

court and widely travelled m India. He vividly, describes Harsha’s court and

life m those days. This account is much richer than that of Fahsien It sheds

light on the economic and social life as well as the religious sects of the

period.

The Chinese account shows that Patalipulra

was in a state of decline; so was Vaisali, on the other hand Prayag and Kanauj

in the doab had become important. The brahmaness and kshatriyas ate reported to

have led a simple life, but the nobles and priests led a luxurious life.

Hsuan Tsang calls the sutras,

agriculturists, which is significant in the earlier texts they are represented

as serving the three higher vamps. The Chinese pilgrim takes notice of

untouchables such as scavengers, executioners, etc. They lived outside the

villages, and took garlic and onion. The untouchables announced their entry

into the town by shouting loudly so that people might keep away from them

Buddhism and Malanda

The Buddhists were divided into 18 seats in

the time of the Chinese pilgrim. The old centers of Buddhism had fallen on bad

days. The most famous center was Malanda, which maintained a great Buddhist

university meant for Buddhist monks.

It is said to have had as many as 10,000

students, all monks they were taught Buddhist philosophy of the Mahayana school

although all the mounds of Malanda have not been dug, excavations have exposed

a very impressive complex of buildings these buildings were raised and

renovated over a period of 700 years from the fifth century A D. The buildings

exposed by excavations do not have the capacity to accommodate 10,000 monks.