Epigraphia Indica Vol 30

Author(s): Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 25

EPIGRAPHIA INDIOA
[Vol. XXX Chandragupta-rajya-sexhotard 88, "in the year 88 of the reign of the illustrious Chandragupra". By this we have not to understand that the insoription in question was incised in the eightyeighth regnal year of Chandragupta II but that it was engraved in the eightyeighth year of the Gupta era which fell in the reign of the said Gupta monarch. Just as in this case the year 88 of the Gupta era is reprosented as the rdjya-sarhwataara (i.e., . year of the reign) of Chandragupta II, in the Dhulēv plate the year 78 of an era is stated to have been the rdjya-pratipatti-varsha (i..., the year of the aoquisition of kingdom, the year of accession to the throne, the first regnal year) of Maharaya Bhatti, ingver of the charter. Of course the Dhulav plate does not clearly state : fri-Bhatti-rajyapratipatti-varsle tria ptatitamd; but we have numerous instances of dates without specifio referendo to the king. Thus the Udayagiri inscription of the time of Chandragupta II simply gives the data in the words : Samvatsard 82, while the Sanchi inscription of the same reign merely has : Sam 98. As indicated by the Gadhwa insoription referred to above, the contracted dates of these two recorda were expected to stand respectively for fri-Chandragupta-rajya-sarhvatoard 82 and fri-Chandraguptaräjya-sathvataard 93.
We believe that the Dhulay plato is dated in the year 73 of some era, the year cortespondist to the first regnal year of Mahardja Bhetti who issued the charter. This fact, however, does not prove that the era in question was founded by one of Bhatti's anoostors. The records of certain kings of Kaukimbi (modern Kosam near Allahabad)" are characterised by the use of an ora which seems to be no other than Kanishka's reckoning, i.e., the sales era of A.D. 78, introduood in the looality during the rule of Kanishka I". But the language, in which the dates are quoted in the insoriptions, reminds us of the dates of the Gupte records reforred to above, 6.8., tri-Bhadramaghaaya sanhvatearl 86, bri-Bhimavarmmanah sailowat 139, oto. The era of 248-49 A.C. is. bolioved by scholars, including Prof. Mirashi, to have started from the noobssion of the Abhira king love modna. But the year 240 of this era is quoted in an inscription of the Traikapakas &s: Traskufandih praoarddhamdna-vijaya-raya-samvatsara-data-dvayd pallohachatvdrithdachuttard,' although even Prof. Mirasli has not taken this passage to indicate that the era in question was founded by the Traikdales. The years of the ora of the Gangas of Kalinga were originally introduced by the expresioa pravarddhamina-vijaya-rajya-sarhoatsara', but later often by the or pression Gangöya-vanhda-pravarddhamana-vijaya-rajya-samvatsara. In a rodord of the Kadamba feudatories of the Gangas, however, the era is introduoed by the passage Gariga-Kadamba-vanhta. pravarddhamdna-vijaya-rajya-sashvataana.10 This does not mean that the Kadambas had anything to do with the foundation of the Ganga era.
As we have shown, the Dhuldv plate was issued by Maharaja Bhatti in the year of his acoession, i.a., his first regnal year, corresponding to the year 78 of an era, and there is nothing to suggest that this era was founded by one of his ancestors. That the charter was issued soon aftor Bhatti's accession is also indicated by another passage of the Dhuliv płato, although it has been toimunderstood by Prof. Mirashi. In line 3 of the record we have the passage : mahardja-bappa-dattil tangu aiva puny-opyāyana-nimittyartham which has been amended by the Professor as MahandiaBappadatan puny-dpydyana-wimittan. He thinks that the grant was made by Bhatti " for the
1 told., No. 1900. * Ibid., No. 1908.
The pol Imperial Unity (The History and Oudhurs of the Indian People, Vol. II), p. 170; af. Solat Inodrlip. Wone, p. 888.
Select Mosoriptions, loo, olt.
Bhandarta Liet, No. 1977. .a. ABORI, Vol. XXVII, pp. 1 ff.; The Age of Imperial Unity, p. 222. * Bhandarkar's Liat, No. 1202. Son JR48, 1006, pp. 5888. Ibid., Nos. 1471 , 2046 f.
Ibid., Noi, 1480, 1482, sto. to Ibid., No. 70%.