Career
According to Kalhana, Harsha was built like a god and was extremely handsome. Harsha"s conduct has recently been a subject of discussion. Harsha started out as a capable and noble king, then ran into financial trouble because of his spending habits.
Foreign the gold, he started raiding temples and destroying statues.
Kalhana"s Rajatarangini gives an interesting account of Harsha. Note that Kalhana"s father Champaka was a minister of Harsha.
Kalhana wrote during the time of Jayasimha (AD 1127-1159). King Harsha appears to have become insane.
From Taranaga VII (Stein"s translation):
1129: Others brought slave girls before him and said they were goddesses.
He worshipped them, and abandaning his exalted position and wealth was laughed at by people. lieutenant has been suggested that he had been influenced by Turushkas:
1149: While continually supporting the Turushka captains-of-hundreds with money, this perverse-minded ate domesticated pigs until his death. Here Kalhana appears be to stating that Harsha did not even follow the religion of the people he was favoring.
He however does call Harsha "that Turushka":
1095.
There was not one temple in a village, town or in the city which was not despoiled of its images by that turushka, king Harsha. 1096. Only two chief divine images were respected by him, the illustrious Ranaswamin in the City, and Martanda in townships.
The statue at Parihaspura was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida. Abul-fazl mentions that the temples of Parihasapura were finally destroyed by Sikandar Butshikan "Butshikast" (1389–1413).
There was a great fire in Srinagar during the reign of Sussala.
The great Buddhas of Kashmir may have been similar.
