Kanauj after Harsa’s Death
Summary
Professor Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya’s essay reconstructs the political history of Kanauj after Emperor Harṣa’s death in 647 CE. Drawing on Chinese records—particularly the accounts of the Tang envoy Wáng Xuǎnzé (Wang‑hiuen‑tse)—the author describes how a usurper named Āla‑na‑shun seized Kanauj and provoked a response from the Tang court. In alliance with rulers of Tibet (Tu‑fan) and Nepal, the Chinese expeditionary force stormed the city, executed thousands and captured the usurper. The article details subsequent struggles among regional powers, including the entry of the rising Bengal kingdom and the Gurjara‑Pratihāras, and notes that Kanauj remained a coveted prize because control of the Ganges plain conferred economic and political pre‑eminence. Chattopadhyaya analyses Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese sources to trace later rulers and argues that instability in Kanauj opened the way for the Tripartite Struggle among the Pratihāras, Rāṣṭrakūṭas and Palas. By placing the Chinese expedition in the broader context of north Indian history, the article sheds light on how trans‑Himalayan diplomacy and warfare influenced the politics of early medieval India.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that Harṣa’s death precipitated a power vacuum in Kanauj which external powers quickly exploited. Chinese intervention not only restored order temporarily but also underscored the international dimensions of early medieval Indian politics, setting the stage for protracted contests among Indian dynasties.