Atmanandji Jainacharya Janmashatabdi Smarakgranth

Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Atmanand Janma Shatabdi Smarak Trust

Page 146

WE ACQUAINTAN
VITHA JWAMI ATMARAM
In the beginning of the last decade of the 19th century an important controversy arose among the Oriental scholars of Europe and India as to the genuineness of the wellknown Hindu era of King Vikramaditya the Great. Dr. Fergusson was of opinion that this era began in 544. A. D., but that the Indian astrologers with a view to give it an extraordinary antiquity had made it start five and half centuries earlier. Professor Maxmuller, Dr. Weber and a few others supported this theory; while Dr. Buhler, Professors Peterson and Kielhorn led those as had held that it was not at all reasonable to regard with distrust the Indian tradition which had assigned Vikramaditya and his famous poet Kalidas to the date of 57 B. C. I made my own research in the matter and had not the slightest hesitation in agreeing with the latter party. The result of this research was the subject of my monograph known as The Samvat Era, which was read before the International Congress of Orientalists held in London in 1891.
It was during the research mentioned above that I had the good fortune of making my acquaintance with Swami Atmaram who was one of the great Jain missionaries of his time. He had got a great reputation for his learning, shrewdness, and critical study of the various Hindu sects of India. His knowledge of the ancient history of India was so vast that he at once on my enquiry told me that he had come across a Sanskrit book on the History of Gujarat ( Bombay Presidency) in which accounts of Vikramaditya and other kings who preceded and sncceeded him had been given in a chronological order. I expressed my
Shatabdi Granth ]
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