The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period)

The difficulty of an attempt to generalise a physical type from the appearance of the modern speakers of the Dravidian languages is exemplified in the case of the Brahuis in Baluchistan who are totally different in appearance from their supposed cousins in the south of India. [...] The pressure of successive hordes of Yavana Saka-Pahlava and Yueli-clii invaders from the north-western gates and the rise of the Satavfilianas in the Deccan gradually reduced the successors of the Mauryas to little more than Magadhan princes. [...] By the beginning of the 3rd century the Kuffitnas were reduced to the position of local rulers in the Punjab while the rest of Northern India was probably parcelled out amongst the Satraps of lJjjayini the Nagas the Licchavis and other minor powers and in the Deccan the position of the Sfttavi►hanas appears to have been taken up by the Vikitakas. [...] The failure of the Guptas to capture and guard the nortwestern gates of India soon resulted in the arrival of another horde of barbarian invaders the lianas about the middle of the 5th century A. D. The shock of the liana invasions must have shaken the foundations of the imperial power of the Guptas although as is indicated by the Damodarpur plates (443-543 A. D.) they apparently retained [...] Even if we omit the somwhat doubtful passage in the Rajataraisgitti which refers to the dominion in the Punjab of an Adhiraja Bhoja the pOwer of the Bboja I in the Punjab is unquestionably demonstrated by the dicovery of his Pehowa inscriptions in the district of Karnal.