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THE MAITRAKA PERIOD
Of all the states that arose out of the break-up of the Gupta empire in Western India, the Maitraka Kingdom of Valabhi proved to be the most powerful and the most durable one. The Maitrakas ruled over the whole of Gujarat (except the southern parts of Mainland Gujarat) and Western Malwa for a pretty long period of about three centuries. In South Gujarat we come across small kingdoms of several dynasties, some of which held power in North Lāța and some others in South Lāța successively. But this period is generally styled the Maitraka period as the Maitraka. Kingdom proved to be the most dominant and enduring kingdom during this period. Most of the records of this period are inscribed on copper plates and dated in detail. The other dated records are a few literary works and an earthernware inscription.3
(i) The Valabhī Era The dates in the Maitraka records generally consist of years, months, fortnights and lunar days. The months include intercalary months. A few dates also contain references to eclipses. The years of this era range from the year 183 to the year 447. The years obviously 1. H. G. Shastri, Maitraka-Kāļin Gujarāt, Appendix 1; M. R.
Majamudar, Chronology of Gujarat, pp. 141 ff. 2. Vide chapter V, Part jii below. 3. IA, Vol, XIV, p. 75 4. G. V. Acharya, HIG, Part i, Nos. 16 to 96
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