Indian Antiquary Vol 17

SR No.: 032509
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 228

212
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
text specifies that the year 585 had expired. And, on the analogy noted under No. 11 above, the eclipse should be found in Gupta-Samvat 586 + 242 = Saka-Samvat 828 current, somewhere between 10 the 10th March, A.D. 905, and the 27th February, A.D. 906. Also, it should presumably, be visible at the place at which the grant was made on the occasion of it. And, though there is nothing, in the existing remnant of the record, to indicate with certainty the exact locality to which it belongs, still there is nothing against the supposition that it really belongs to Môrbi itself, or to that neighbourhood. We have, therefore, to look for a solar eclipse, occurring in Saka-Samvat 828 current, and visible at Môrbî, or near that town, in the north of Kathiawaḍ.
Gen. Sir A. Cunningham's Table" mentions no solar eclipse as having occurred during the period defined above. But, by calculations from Prof. K. L. Chhatre's Tables, Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit finds
It
that there was an eclipse of the sun, on Tuesday, the 7th May, A.D. 905, corresponding to the new-moon tithi of the Purnimanta northern Jyêshtha of Saka-Samvat 828 current, which fully answers the required conditions. was visible at Môrbi; over almost the whole of Southern India; and in Ceylon. The magnitude, at Môrbi, was one ninth of the sun's disc; and, in the southern parts of India, greater than this. And the middle of the eclipse, at Môrbi, was at 12.9 midday of the Môrbi mean civil time. This eclipse, accordingly, was very distinctly visible at Môrbi; even if it was not known beforehand from calculations. And this result answers fully to the conditions of the record; and to the circumstances under which it was to be calculated.
In respect of the given civil day for the writing of the charter, viz. the fifth civil day in the bright fortnight of the month Phalguna (February-March), as the name of the weekday is not given, the only test that we can apply,-if, indeed, it does really amount to a test,-is the pre
10 Of course, as it could only take place at a new-moon conjunction, it did not occur on the given civil day for the writing of the charter.-The limits within which we must look for it, are the first and the last days of SakaSamvat 828 current, as given in Indian Eras, p. 167.
11 See Indian Eras, p. 213.
1 For his calculations, which are based on the appa. rent longitudes of the sun and the moon, he has taken the latitude and longitude of Morbi, which I was not then able to supply to him, as 22° 45′ N. and 70° 51′ E. I now find that, in Thornton's Gazetteer of India, the figures are 22° 49' N. and 70° 58′ E. Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit states, however, that the difference will not palpably affect his results.
13 So also Prof. K. L. Chhatre himself obtained the same eclipse; see Dr. R. G. Bhandarhar's Early History of the Dekhan, p. 99, where, with a slight difference of
[JULY, 1888.
sumption that the running number of the lunar tithi is the same as that of the civil day, i.e. that the fifth lunar tithi ended on the fifth civil day of the fortnight. If the year 586, connected with this civil day, is to be taken as expired, as in connection with the eclipse, this should be the case in Saka-Samvat 828 current. And, by calculations for that year from Prof. K. L. Chhatre's Tables, Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit finds that the preceding new-moon tithi, which was that of the Púr. nimánta northern Phalguna, or the Amánta southern Magha, ended on Monday, the 27th January, A.D. 906; and the fifth tithi of the bright fortnight of Phalguna ended on Saturday, the 1st February, which was the fifth successive civil day. If this date is accepted, then the charter was written nine months after the making of the grant. On the other hand, if the year 585 is here to be taken as current, there should be the same agreement of the lunar tithi and the solar day in Saka-Samvat 827 current. And, for this year, Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit finds that the preceding new-moon tithi ended on Thursday, the 7th February, A.D. 925; and that the fifth tithi of the bright fortnight of Phalguna ended on Tuesday, the 12th February, which was again the fifth successive civil day. If this date is accepted, then the charter was prepared two months before the actual making of the grant.
It may perhaps be argued, hereafter, in opposition to my results for the exact epoch of the era, that all the Gupta-Valahhi dates are recorded in expired years, whether the fact is distinctly stated or not; and, consequently, that it is as an expired year, not current, that the year 165 of the Éran pillar inscription is equivalent to A.D. 484-85 current, and that the year 585 expired, of the present record, is equivalent to A.D. 904-905 current. In that case, the solar eclipse would have to be found in Gupta-Samvat 585 + 242= Saka-Samvat 827 current, somewhere between's the 21st March, A. D. 904, and the 9th March, A. D. 905. During this period, there were two eclipses of the sun; on Saturday, the 16th
46 on the
phraseology, the eclipse is given as occurring 30th of Vaisakha, Saka 827;" the reference being to the Amanta southern month and the expired Saka year.
14 There is nothing in the record itself, to indicate whether the writing of the charter proceded, or followed, the making of the grant. The Rajim grant of Tivara deva, Corp. Inscr. Indic. No. 81, page 291, furnishes another similar instance. In that instance, the grant was made on the eleventh tithi of Jyeshtha (May-June); while the charter was written, or assigned, on the eighth civil day of Karttika (October-November); and there is nothing to show specifically whether it was the following, or the preceding, Karttika. That charter may have been written, or assigned, either five months after, or seven months before, the making of the grant recorded in it. See Indian Eras, p. 167.
10 id. p. 213.