continental south asia and the islands 73the Guards, Li Yi-piao, as an envoy in response (Chiu T’ang shu 198:
12a; Hsin T’ang shu 221A:12a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5025; Wen-hsien t’ung-
k’ao 338:50a, 51b).
In 648, T’ai-tsung dispatched the Chief Clerk of the Guard Com-
mandant of the Right [of the Heir-apparent], Wang Hsüan-ts’e to
Central India (>Magadha). The often quoted account of his exploits
there is based on the self-serving report he gave on his return. As he
tells it, he found on arriving in Central India that king Harsa had died
and that his minister A-lo-na-shun (Aryuna) had enthroned himself.
Various local princes paid Hsüan-ts’e “tribute”, i.e. offered gifts. But
Aryuna attacked Hsüan-ts’e, defeated his small suite of 30 horsemen,
and captured the gifts. Hsüan-ts’e fled alone to the Tibetans. These
reenforced him with 1,200^163 men and the Nepalese with more than
7000 cavalry. He then defeated Aryuna’s forces at the capital of Central
India in a battle lasting for three days,^164 cutting off more than 3,000
heads. 10,000 enemy soldiers drowned. 12,000 men and women were
captured,^165 as well as 20,000 heads of various livestock. 580 towns
surrendered. Aryuna attempted to flee but was taken prisoner. A local
prince sent 30,000 cattle, bows, and swords to supply Hsüan-ts’e’s
army. Another presented rare objects and a geographical map^166 and
requested an image of Lao-tzu and the Tao-te ching^167 (Chiu T’ang shu
198:12b;T’ung-tien 193:19a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp. 6257-6258; Wen-
hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:50a).
When this account is shorn of its obvious exaggerations in which
all figures are ludicrously inflated, it says no more than that Aryuna
was hostile and turned on Hsüan-ts’e. The latter received help from
the Tibetans and Nepalese in defeating and capturing Aryuna.
Wang Hsüan-ts’e returned to China with Aryuna as his captive. He
also brought with him an Indian Master of Recipes, who claimed to
(^163) Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao says 1,000.
(^164) The report of Wang Hsüan-ts’e gives June 16 as the date of the battle. That,
however, is a later insert by the dynastic historian. Chiu T’ang shu 3:11b records that in
the 5th month (May/June) of 648, messengers arrived from the Central Indian State
to report a victory. That was the victory of Wang Hsüan-ts’e. June 16 is therefore
the date when the news reached the T’ang court.
(^165) Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao says 22,000.
(^166) Presenting a map of one’s territory was to the Chinese a symbol of surrender.
That would not have occurred to the Indian king.
(^167) O.Franke, Geschichte, vol.III, p.368, agrees with Pelliot that this request was
made to Li Yi-piao in 647.