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No. 48.)
EPOCH OF THE GANGA ERA.
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The above examination of the twelve dates of the Gänga era which contain some details for verification has shown that the view that the Gānga era was started on Chaitra su. di. 1 in the expired Saka year 420 explains all the dates satisfactorily. We found that according to this epoch the eclipses occurred in the respective Gānga years (current or expired) mentioned in the records and in two cases even in the specified months, and where the week-day or the number of solar days in a month was given they could be completely verified. Of the twelve dates examined above, three are in current years, four in expired years and the remaining five doubtful, being in either current or expired years. Of the doubtful dates also, a majority is likely to be in expired years ; for, as Dr. Sir R. G. Bhandarkar has pointed out," the Hindu's usual, not invariable, way of expressing a date is not in the year so and so ', but after so many years had elapsed since such and such an event took place.' ” Even if we leave these doubtful dates out of account, the expired years of the Gänga era are more in number than the current ones, which is in accordance with the practice observed in the case of the dates of the Vikrama, Saka, Kalachuri and other eras.
We can therefore conclude that the Gănga era commenced on Chaitra su. di. 1 in the expired Saka year 420 (the 14th March, A. D. 498).
Let us next see if this epoch of the Gänga era conflicts with any known data. Certain synchronisms of Ganga kings with princes of other dynasties are either known definitely or are conjectured by scholars. We have to see if they can be satisfactorily explained with the present epoch.
1. From the Godavari plates of Přithivimülas we learn that the Adhiraja Indra fought in company with other chiefs who united to overthrow a certain Indrabhattāraka. These plates are dated in the twenty-fifth year of the increasingly victorious reign, apparently of Přithivimüla. The date does not contain any details for verification. Dr. Fleet who edited the plates conjectured at first? that the Adhiraja Indra was the king Indravarman of the Ganga dynasty who made the Chicacole grant dated [Gn.) year 128. He further identified Indrabhattāraka defeated by the Adhiraja Indra with Indrarāja, the younger brother of Jayasimha of the Eastern Chālukya dynasty. The name of this Indrarāja is omitted in most Chalukyan records, because, according to Dr. Fleet, he, being slain in this battle, did not ascend the throne.
If this identification is correct, it does not conflict with our epoch of the Ganga era ; for According to it, the Adhiraja Indra was ruling in S. 548 (128+420) and the Eastern Chalukya prince Indrarāja also flourished in the same period as he must have fought the battle during the reign of his elder brother Jayasimha (S. 549 to 579 or 582).
1 Collected Works of Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, Vol. III, pp. 288 f. * Ind. Ant., Vol. XX, p. 398. • Ibid., Vol. XXV, pp. 266 ff. • Ibid., Vol. XXIV, pp. 120 ff. . J. Bom. Br. R. A. S., Vol. XVI, pp. 114 ff.
• The expression pravardhamana-vijaya-rajya-samvatsara which introduces the date in these plates coeurs in all the early grants of the Ganga kings (with an expression like Gang@ya-tamka prefixed to it in the case of some later ones), but this is no sure index of the Ganga era, for the expression occurs in the records of other dynasties also. See e.g., 11. 25-6 of the Chikkulla plates of the Vishnukundin Vikramēndravarman (above, Vol. IV, p. 197: L. 14 of the Ipûr plates of the Vishnukundin Madhavavarman, (ibid., Vol. XVII, p. 337, and Il. 21-2 of the Tändivida grant of Prithivi-Mahārāja, ibid., Vol. XXIII, p. 98).
Later on he identified him with the Gänga king Indravarman (II) who issued the Parläkimedi grant dated Cn. 91. See Ind. Ant., Vol. XVI, p. 131.
. Since then, his Kondanagüru grant has been discovered and published (abovo, Vol. XVIII, pp. 1 ff.).
