The early history of Harsha’s reign is
reconstructed from a study of Banabhatta, who was his
court poet and who wrote a book called Harshacharita. This can be supplemented
by the account of the Chinese pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, who visited India in the
seventh century A.D. and stayed in the country for about 15 years. Harsha’s
inscriptions speak of various types of taxes and officials.
Harsha is called the last great Hindu
emperor of north India, but such a characterization is only partly true. For
his authority did not extend to the whole of the country though he established
his hold practically over the whole of north India except Kashmir. Rajasthan,
Panjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa were
under his direct control, but his sphere of
influence spread over a much wider area It seems that the peripheral states
acknowledged his sovereignty His southward march was stopped on the Narmada river
by the Chalukyan king Pulakesin, who ruled over a great part of modern
Karnataka and Maharashtra with his capital in Badami m the modern Bpapur
district of Karnataka Except this Harsha did not face any serious opposition
and succeeded in giving a measure of political unity to a large part of the
country
Administration
Harsha governed his empire on the same
lines as the Guptas did, except that his administration had become more feudal
and decentralized, it is stated that Harsha had 100,000 horses, and 60,000
elephants. This seems to be astonishing because the Mauryas, who ruled over
practically the whole of the country except the Deep South, maintained only
30,000 cavalry and 9000 elephants. Harsha could possess a larger army only if
he could mobilize the support of all his feudatories at the time of war evidently
every feudatory contributed his quota of foot soldiers and horses, and thus
made the imperial army vast in numbers
Land grants continued to be made to priests
for special services rendered to the state. In addition Harsha is credited with
the grant of land to the officers by charters. These grants allowed the same
concessions to priests as were allowed by the earlier grants The Chinese
pilgrim Hsuan Tsang informs us that the revenues of Harsha were divided into four
parts. One part was earmarked for the expenditure of the king, a second for
scholars, a third for the endowment of officials and public servants, and a
fourth for religious purposes. He also tells us that ministers and high
officers of the state were endowed with land. The feudal practice of rewarding
and paying officers with grants of land seems to have begun under Harsha.
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