Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Part 2.4: Relationship with the Sovereign Kings’ of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.
Part 2.4: Relationship with the Sovereign Kings
Bāṇa has described the good relationship between the sovereign king and other feudatory kings in the 7th century A.D. He mentions that various kings came to meet emperor Harṣa. They had intense admiration and passion for his glory and were eagerly waiting to meet him.[1] At that time other feudatory kings paid taxes to the sovereign king in the form of numerous jewels and also horses, elephants from their own treasuries etc. King Harṣa’s courtyard (āṅgaṇa) was filled with uncountable elephants and horses; the dark elephants made the gate look dark,[2] which were presented to the king as gifts or as taxes from the various countries by the chiefs of the small villages (pallī).[3] He also received precious things from Bhāskaravarman as a token of friendship, such as-silken cloth (kṣauma), kārdaraṅgā shield, loin-cloths (jātipaṭṭikā), pillow (upadhāna), coral (prabāl) etc.,[4] which were generally presented to the sovereign king by the feuderal kings.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
anyaiśca pratāpanurāgāgatairnānādeśajaimahīpālaiḥ…….narapatidarśanakālamadhāsyamānam, Ibid.,II.p. 27-28
[2]:
śyāmāyamānam…rājadvāram, Ibid.,p.26
[3]:
…bhuktavati bhubhuji prakhyātānāṃ kṣitibhujāṃ …pallīparivṛḍhaṭaḍhaukitaiśca … ..kalpitairvāraṇendraiḥ śyāmāyamānaṃ… turaṅgairaṅgāyamānam…, Ibid.,II.p.26-27
[4]:
Harṣacarita,VII.p.116-117