Tulsi Prajna 1993 02

SR No.: 524574
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Parmeshwar Solanki
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 1993
Total Pages: 166
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India
File Size: 7 MB

Page 115

Mahāvira Era
Vallabha Era and according to him both the eras started 241 years later than Saka Kāla of 543 B.C. and another Śakakāla of 78 A.D. i.e. 543--241=302 B.C. and 78+241 +-319 A.D.
Pliny (VI, 21, 22, 23) says that at the time of Alexander's invasion Andhras were reputed to possess a military force second only to that of the command of the king of the Prasii, The Andhra territory included thirty walled towns, besides numerous villages and the army consisted of 100,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry and 1000 elephants."
This description of Andhra power cannot agree with a Sandracottus' identification with Chandragupta Maurya. But it can very well apply to the days of Samudra Gupta and Chandragupta I, the mighty Andhras has just gone down. Before the rise of Guptas, Andhras were very powerful. In fact according to the Purānas, Āndhras were the Imperial rulers, who just preceded the Guptas. It was almost on the ashes of the Andhra empire, that the Guptas built up their empire.
It is said that Seleucus invaded Indian border between 304 and 302 B.C. Plutarch's phrase "by that time” would suggest that Sandracottus had come to throne recently when Seleucus invaded the Indian border. And this Sandracottus is Samudragupta of Gupta dynesty, whose every king attached the family name “Gupta" as a part of his personal name, as Strabo says that according to Megasthanes "the king in addition to his family name must adopt the surname of Palibothras, as Sandracottus for instance did.”
So the first Shaka Era started 1098 years B.V.E., the second Devaputra Saka Communicate with 543 BVE and the third Sālivāhan Shaka begins from VE 135 or 78 AD while krit Vikram Era starts from 57 BC, In this way the whole of Northern India was under the sway of Devaputra Śaka of Khotān during the six centuries B.C. while the Southern India was governed by Andhra and the Western parts of our country were then occupied by the nominees of Roman empire simultaneously. This is also evident from the story of Shaka Kshatrapas migrated to India in the days of Darius. Herodotus, the Greek Historian who had lived at his court, writes in his history.34
"A great part of Asia was explored under the direction of Darius. He being desirous to know in what part the Indus, which is the second river that produced crocodiles, discharges itself into sea, sent in ships both others on whom he could rely to make a true report and also Skylax of Caryanda (a fellow-countryman of Herodotus). They accordingly, setting out from the city of Caspatyrus