Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/356

 312 THE REIGN OF HARSHA took fire, and was in great part destroyed; but when the king intervened in person, the flames were stayed, and pious hearts recognized a miracle. Harsha, attended by his princely train, had ascended the great stupa to survey the scene, and was coming down the steps, when a fanatic, armed with a dagger, rushed upon him and attempted to stab him. The assassin, having been captured instantly, was closely interrogated by the king in person, and confessed that he had been instigated to commit the crime by certain " heretics,'* who resented the excessive royal favour shown to the Buddhists. Five hundred Brahmans of note were then arrested, and, being " straitly ques- tioned," were induced to confess that, in order to gratify their jealousy, they had fired the tower by means of burning arrows, and had hoped to slay the king during the resulting confusion. This confession, which was no doubt extorted by torture, was probably wholly false; but, whether true or not, it was accepted, and on the strength of it the alleged principals in the plot were executed, and some five hundred Brahmans were sent into exile. After the close of the proceedings at Kanauj, Harsha invited his Chinese guest to accompany him to Pra- yaga (Allahabad), at the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna, to witness another imposing ceremonial. The Master of the Law, although anxious to start on his toilsome homeward journey, could not refuse the invi- tation, and accompanied his royal host to the scene of the intended display. Harsha explained that it had