Page:A History of Hindi Literature.djvu/22

 II. A GENERAL SURVEY OF HINDI LITERATURE After the death of KingHarsha (646 or 647 a.d.), who had built up a large Empire in North India, there was a long period of confusion and disorder. The unity of Indian History is lost until the Muhammadan conquests again restored a government strong enough to become a paramount power. During this period the Rajput clans came into prominence and various Rajput principalities took shape which were destined to play an important part in subsequent history. These king- doms were often at war with one another, but the in- roads of the Muhammadans from the West frequently united them to meet the common foe. Although Kabul, the Punjab, and Sindh had previously fallen into the hands of the Muhammadan invaders, the real conquest of India did not begin till 1175 a.d. when Muhammad Ghori commenced his attacks. In 1191 the Muham- madan progress induced the Hindu Kings to compose their quarrels and form a great confederacy under Prithlraj (also called Prithvlraj or Rai Pithora), the Chauhan ruler of Ajmer and Delhi. The Hindus were at first victorious in a battle at Tarain, but in the following year were defeated in the same place and Prithvlraj was captured and killed. Delhi was soon occupied and the Muhammadan advance continued till, under Muham- mad-bin-Tughlak in 1340, it attained its maximum extent. But though many Hindu kingdoms fell, and many strongholds in Rajputana were captured, the Rajput clans reasserted themselves and were never completely subdued. Many new Kingdoms were set