That might actually be untrue. While India through out its history was ruled by countless small kingdoms, most of them were part of invisible empires and connected through marriage, alliance or principle.

There were very few genocidal wars or wars of total annihilation. This strangely was a common problem not only in China but in Europe where loosing a war would mean total annihilation. This only came to an end in India with the Islamic invasion - whose strategy like in Persia or Mesopotamia consisted of raid, loot, murder and flee. When they found themselves more permanent rule it was mostly about conversion, taking slaves, destruction/defacement or appropriation(repurposing) of non-islamic buildings.

It is like saying the Soviet was united and the EU was never. The Soviet was held together by force, the EU is held together by consent.