Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/366

 322 THE MEDIAEVAL KINGDOMS OF THE NORTH Ephthalite dominion passed into the hands of the West- ern Turks and Persians; but the grasp of the latter power on the provinces south of the Oxus soon relaxed, and the Turks became the heirs of the Ephthalites in the whole of their territory as far as the Indus. Ac- cordingly, in 630 A. D., when Hiuen Tsang was on his way to India, his safety was assured by passports granted by Tong-she-hu, the " Kazan," or supreme chief of the Western Turks, which guaranteed him protection as far as Kapisa. In the same year the pilgrim's powerful protector was assassinated, and the Chinese, under the guidance of the Emperor Tai-tsong, the second prince of the Tang dynasty, inflicted upon the Northern or Eastern Turks a defeat so decisive that the vanquished became slaves to the Chinese for fifty years. When relieved from fear of the Northern Turks, the Chinese were able to turn their arms against the western tribes, and in the years 640 - 8 succeeded in occupying Turfan, Korashar, and Kucha, thus securing the northern road of communication between the East and West. At this time Tibet was on amicable terms with the Middle Kingdom. In 641 the Chinese Princess Wen- cheng had been given in marriage to Srong-tsan- Gam-po, King of Tibet, and in the years 643 - 5 the Chinese envoys to Harsha had been able to reach India through the friendly states of Tibet and Nepal, both of which sent troops to rescue Wang-Hiuen-tse from the troubles into which he fell after Harsha 's death.