भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

these Huns went on reducing them to ashes. Whoever came in their way was ruthlessly cut to pieces. After trampling down Russia, they rushed into Poland, thence attacking the Goths in Germany and France. Army-after- army of the once invincible Roman Empire was put to rout. These Huns loved not victory so much as they did ruin and destruction for its own sake. Consequently, the whole of Europe was not only defeated in war but was virtually bathed in blood and laid utterly waste. For a harrowing description of this devastation of Europe at the hands of these barbaric Huns, one should read Gibbons, ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’. Even today, most of the European languages use ‘Hun’ as the foulest of abuses, indicating thereby, the horror they looked upon these devilish Huns with. 269. In the very same manner, did another avalanche of these Hunnish horses, which hovered for some time round about the Himalayas destroying whatever remained of the Saka-Kushan strongholds, dashed against regions like the Gandhar and others to the north-west of India. With the very same energy and devilish ambition with which they devastated the empires of China, Russia and Rome, did these Huns march impatiently to trample down India from end to end under their horses’ hoofs, and began to force their way to the Indus. But 270. But, fortunately, India was no longer being ruled by any coward like Dhananand, who brought disgrace to the land at the time of the Greek invasion of Punjab. It was now under the sovereignty of Kumargupta, the illustrious son of Emperor Vikramaditya, the avenger of the Saka-Kushan domination. India at that time enjoyed the century-old Golden Age of the Gupta era. The Mauryan Golden Age saw, towards its close, the Indian military strength disorganized and powerless, because of the foolhardy Ashokan policy of total non-violence (ahimsa). But the Vedic India of this time under the leadership of Kumargupta did not allow the imperial army to degenerate in the least. Being always aware of the avalanche-like Hunnish onslaught, which was expected sooner or later, Emperor Kumargupta kept a very strong war-like and well-organized army, ever prepared to defend its frontiers. The first Hunnish Onrush Paralysed 271. The moment he learnt of the Hunnish aggression on Gandhar, Kumargupta sent his valiant son, Skundgupta at the head of the four-fold