they are all of a romantic character, and present the facts with much embellishment.
The best known composition of this class is that entitled the "Deeds of Harsha" (Harsha-Charita), written by Bana, about 620 A.D., in praise of his master and patron, King Harsha of Thanesar and Kanauj, which is of high value, both as a depository of ancient tradition, and as a record of contemporary history, in spite of obvious faults. A similar work called "The Deeds of Vikramanka," by Bilhana, a poet of the twelfth century, is devoted to the eulogy of a powerful king who ruled a large territory in the south and west between 1076 and 1126 A.D. The earliest of the Tamil poems alluded to is believed to date from the sixth or seventh century A.D. These compositions, which are panegyrics on famous kings of the south, appear to contain a good deal of historical matter.
The obstacles which have hitherto prevented the construction of a continuous narrative of early Indian history are due not so much to the deficiency of material as to the lack of definite chronology. The rough material is not so scanty as has been supposed. The data for the reconstruction of the early history of all nations are very meagre, largely consisting of bare lists of names, supplemented by vague and often contradictory traditions which pass insensibly into popular mythology. The historian of ancient India is fairly well provided with a supply of such lists, traditions, and mythology, which, of course, require to be treated on the strict critical principles applied by modern students
