A Short History of the Indian People

23 IV.—Civilisation of the Hindus of the later times (from the Sixth Century B. C. to the Death of Harshvardhani 4z V--Political History of India from the Death of Harshavardan to the Muhammadan Coquest.—India spilt up.—Struggle with the Muhammadans VI.—State of the Country from the Death of Harshavardhan to the Muhammadan Con quest Civilisation of the Hindus on the eve of the Muhammadan Rul [...] Persia and the adjoining parts and formed what is called the Iranian branch of the Aryan family the other remained in the Punjab and thus became the fore-fathers of the higher class Hindus—the Brahmans Inclo-Âryans the Kshattriyas ind the Vaisyas. [...] Such a suzerainty was claimed by the lkshaku family of Kosala in the time of the Ramayana and by the Kurth family of Hastinararr in the time of the Mahabharata. [...] The Hindus early formed the conception of one God.—The idea of the unity of the godhead was early conceived by the Hindus and several hymns in the Rig-veda are addressed to the Supreme Being. [...] recovered some of the lost provinces from the Sakas and the Andhras continu ed to rule till their power came to an end in the beginning of the third century A. D. Chandra Gupta I. founds the Gupta Empire.— Th period that intervened between the fall of the Andhras and the rise of the Guptas is au obscure An obscure period.