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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1882.
B. and C. contain some different readings of no ! A few remarks on the clue which the four copimportance; they agree with it in the last half per-plate inscriptions may furnish to inquirers sloka. The passage is in all three manuscripts into the initial date of the Gupta era are likewise evidently corrupt; but there can be no doubt that to be found in a very interesting paper by Dr. H. the last half sloka says nothing about a period of Oldenberg, “On the Dates of Ancient Indian 170 years. Perhaps we may have to read 7 Inscriptions and Coins "published in the Indian instead of , and then I would propose, Antiquary vol. X, pp. 213-227. Without entering although with considerable hesitation, the follow. into a criticism of the opinions advanced there, I ing explanation of the whole passage :-As Garga only remark that inquiries as to what year really estimated the solar year at 366 days, while the was a Vaibakha, Chaitra etc. year, do not appear Savana year comprised 360 days, sixty-one Savana to me calculated to furnish really useful results. years would be, according to him, equal to sixty The important point is, if possible, to find out solar years. Now Garga, whose knowledge of the what chronological or astronomical system the periods of the planets cannot in any case have authors of the inscriptions followed, and what been very accurate, may have supposed Jupiter deductions they were likely to make from the to pass through one-twelfth of the zodiac in one principles they had embraced. Observation has, Savana year (the true time being 361 days), and as we know, never been the strong point of Hindu consequently 61 of Jupiter's years also would be astronomers, and if, according to their system, equal to 60 solar years. That he imagined some a certain year was to be called Mahâchaitra, they such connection between Jupiter and the Såvana would scarcely have hesitated to do so even if and solar years has, it appears, necessarily to be they had found that the name was not justified assumed, as it otherwise would be impossible to by Jupiter's actual position. account for the circumstance of both these years The above remarks may, in addition to their and their mutual relation being mentioned in more immediate purpose, be of use as showing by the chapter on Jupiter's course. Which years have a special example the peculiar difficulties with to be expunged, according to Garga, I dare not which scholars attempting to solve problems of conjecture, as the corrupt state of the passage Indian chronology have to grapple. With quoted would render any hypothesis altogether more special reference to the early centuries unsafe. For our purpose it suffices to have shown of the Christian era it may be asserted that that the authority of Garga cannot be invoked in no safe ground will be reached before we are aid of the principles on which General Cunning-| more accurately informed concerning the time at ham has computed his table. It is not easy to which and the manner in which the modern guess what was the cause of the changed form in Hindu astronomy, based on Greek science, diswhich the passage from Garga appears in Bhat. placed the cruder doctrines which had prevailed totpala's text; possibly the desire to establish an at an earlier period. Any assistance rendered in agreement between an old revered authority and questions of this kind by Pandita is a doubtful the more advanced knowledge of a later period. boon, as the advantage we may derive from their That the mistakes made by early Hindu writers learning in Hindu astronomy is as a rule greatly on Astronomy often greatly perplexed later and lessened, if not altogether counterbalanced, by the better.informed authors is a well-known circum- mistakes to which their want of critical spirit and stance.
historical method gives rise.
MISCELLANEA. SINHALESE FAMILY NAMES.
| in the Portuguese or Dutch time, Sinhalese The subject of "Sinhalese Family Names" Christians and even Buddhists conferred Chrisis a complicated one, connected, as it is, with tian names on their children instead of what native titles, honorifics, caste, and names, both are called rice names. In those days a child, in the maritime and Kandyan Provinces. I shall, for instance, would be named Abaran, or for the present, confine myself to a few names Hendrick, Juan, Karalu, Tomis, Wellon, etc. in the low country. These may be divided into Nowadays they would be named Abraham, four classes :
Henry, John, Charles, Thomas, William, respec1st. Rice names or names conferred on a child
tively. on the rice-giving festival. In the pre-European 2nd. Genam or house or family names. These times, these names were, no doubt, identical names generally have their origin in the situation with those now current in the Kandyan country, of the house or the place of residence of a man, but after the settlement of Europeans rice names the trade or profession in which he was engaged, were gradually supplanted by Christian names, and a variety of other circumstances. The fol
