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254
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1880.
bears also the name of Dhruvabbata, be the l or A.D. 478-9, we obtain A.D. 194-5, as the epoch. king of the same name visited by Hwen Thsang, Tho forgery was fabricated of course later than then tho date on his copperplate of Sam. 447 must Saka 400, but not so late as that the date of relate to some era commencing about 190 to 200 A.D. Dharasena was not known at least within a few He says-"Of course, Dhruvabhata's inscription years. The assumption of the round number 400 may be some 25 or 30 years either earlier or later as the numeral, may itself be due to some slight than the pilgrim's visit." This we cannot quite uncertainty as to the exact date to be fixed upon; agree to, as we have a published inscription of Mila: but otherwise, if we allow that the forgery was ditya V., the father of the king in question, dated made within a century or so of the date it presents, in Sam. 441,-80 that 6 years is the utmost limit this plate is corroborative of the theory as to the on one side, and thus the epoch cannot be placed initial date of the Gupta era which Dr. Bühler first much lower than A.D. 200.. He then compates suggested. that 12th Ashadba sudi fell on a Thursday, on 24th General Cunningham then attempts to show June (О. S.) 359 A.D., and if this correspond with that Dronasiz ha may have begun his reign as Budha-Gupta's date in 165, the initial point of the early, according to this reckoning, as A.D. 365 or 370 epoch must be in 195 A. D., he also finds that (that is 171 or 176 of the Gupta era), and so have there was a solar eclipse on 14th Magh vadi or been contemporary with Budha Gupta. Now 10th February 780 A. D., and considering this as as his elder brother reigned before Dronasimha, the eclipse mentioned in the Morvi plate (Ind. his father Bhatarka can hardly, on this supposiAnt. vol. II, p. 258), he arrives at A. D. 195 as the tion, have died before 166, and Dharapatta, the 1st year of the Guptakål. We have had these fourth son of the latter, reigned for some time computations performed, and find that in E. long. between 216 and 286. This makes the son survive 71° and lat. 23° N. (near the position of Morvi), his father by about 65 years, which is somewhat there was a solar eclipse on 10th Feb. 780 A. D. (15 unusual. This difficulty is in no way, however, Magh vad), which lasted about 2 hours 50 minutes, connected with the initial epoch of the Gupta era, the greatest obscuration being at 2h. 21m. P.M. for the same thing must occur wherever we fix and extending to fully half the sun's diameter at that epoch. But if we assume, as we may do the assumed locality. For the other date, we find without any forcing of the ages, that Bhatarka lived the 12th tithi of Ash&dha sudi began 30 g. 20 v. till 176 or 180, that Dharasena was Senåpati 35 p. after sunrise on 23rd June 359 A.D., but if we till about 190, and that Dronanimha then acfollow the rule that when & tithi begins after
quired power, he might still be contemporary with Bunrise, it is held to concur with the following day, Budha Gupta, during the last year of that king's we find the date to be Thursday, 24th June, as reign (if he lived to 190“), and have been crowned the General states. Too much weight, however, by him. But it is more natural to suppose that should not be ascribed to this latter conicidence.
he was crowned by Bå nugupta, in whose reign The names of the years in the Jovian 12-year we have the date 191 on an inscription at Eran. cycle do not strengthen the argument; for, if we This clears away the objection which arises from assume any one of them to be correct, the others assuming that Dronasimha had a very long must fall into their places. What is wanted to
reign. render them of any value for this purpose is 'dis- General Canningham next assumes that the tinct and authoritative information as to the use Gupta kål dates from the commencement of Chanof this cycle and the date from which it starts. dragupta's reign; but as we have Chandra
As to the initial date, however, an additional gupta II. dating in 82 and 93, and his son argument might be added. The suggestion we Kumara gupta from 96 to 129, there seems no believe is due to Dr. Bübler that the forged grant necessity for extending the four reigns over 130 of Dharagena II. dated Saka 400$ is approx- years. With an average of nearly 22 years to each imately correct in its date. Now Dharasena must king, this period would include the six kings of the have died beween 272 and 286 of the Valabhi era, dynasty from its rise under Sri Gupta, who and if we assume 284 as the date, and as coinci. would thus be placed 60 years later than General dent with the year in which the plates are dated, Cunningham assumes.
1 In 1878 I was led on the same grounds "to place the The latest date we have connected with Budhagupta initial date of the Valabhi era about A. D. 195," but not is 182. regarding the point as sufficiently proved no further use was Mr. Newton (Jour. B. B. R. As. Soc. val. VII, p. 11) made of it (Descrip. Account of the Rock - Temples of has read this name Bakragapta; from another very clear W. India, p. 11); also Cave Temples of India, P. 191. example, however, it appears to be plainly Banugupta. -J. B.
General Cunningham regards Mr. Newton's and Sir E.C. This eclipse would be central at noon in about lat. Bayley's readings as imperfect renderings of Chandre18° 28' N. long. 55° 26' E.
gupta (p. 23); the occurrence of the name Bloggupta, Ind. Ant. vol. V, p. 110; vol. VII, p. 68; vol. VIII, with the date 191, however, places this matter beyond p. 801; and Jour. Bo. B. R. As. Soc. vol. VIII, p. 344. dispute.
