1865.] Report of the Archaeological Survey. 205 



253. In determining the period of Harslia's reign, between the 

 years 607 and 650 A. D., I have been guided by the following evi- 

 dence : — 1st. The date of his death is fixed by the positive statement 

 of Hwen Thsang in the year 650 A. D. — 2nd. In speaking of Harslia's 

 career, the pilgrim records that from the time of his accession Harsha 

 was engaged in continual war for 5J years, and that afterwards for 

 about 30 years he reigned in peace. This statement is repeated by 

 Hwen Thsang, when on his return to China, on the authority of the 

 King himself, who informed him that he had then reigned for upwards 

 of 30 years, and that the quinquennial assembly then collected was 

 the sixth which he had convoked. From these different statements it 

 is certain that at the date of Hwen Thsang's return to China, in 

 A. D. 640, Harsha had reigned upwards of 30 years, and somewhat 

 less than 35 years. His accession must, therefore, be placed between 

 A. D. 605 and 610. — 3rd. Now, in the middle of this very period, in 

 A. D. 607, as we learn from Abu Bihan, was established the Sri 

 Marsha era, which was still prevalent in Mathura and Kanoj in the 

 beginning of the 11th century. Considering the exact agreement of 

 the names and dates, it is impossible to avoid coming to the conclusion 

 that the Harsha who established an era in Kanoj in A. D. 607 was the 

 great King Harsha Vardhana who reigned at Kanoj during the first 

 half of the seventh century. 



254, Hwen Thsang adds some particulars regarding the family of 

 Harsha Vardhana which induce me to think it probable that it may be 

 identified with one of the dynasties whose names have been preserved 

 in the genealogies of the Rajavali. The names differ in the various 

 copies, but they agree generally in making Raj Sing, who reigned 

 only nine years, the predecessor of Hara or Hari Sing, who is recorded 

 to have reigned for 44 or 45 years, Now, according to Hwen Thsang, 

 the predecessor and elder brother of Harsha Vardhana was Rajya Var- 

 dhana, Avho was assassinated shortly after his accession. Here both the 

 names of these two Kings and the lengths of their reigns agree so well 

 together as to suggest the probability of their identity. In most 

 copies of the Rajavali this dynasty of six Kings, of which Raja and 

 Ham are the 3rd and 4th names, is made the immediate predecessor 

 of the Great Tomar dynasty, whose accession has already been assigned 

 in my account of the Kings of Delhi to the year 736 A. D. 



