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116
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1883.
do.
THE CHRONOLOGY of ANCIENT NATIONS, an English usefulness for transforming dates in the ancient
version of the Arabic text of the Athar-ul-Baliva of Albiruni, or Vestiges of the Past, collected and
calendars of which the author treats into Julian reduced to writing by the Author in A. H. 390-1, dates. In order to do this successfully it is. A.D. 1000. Translated and edited, with Notes and Index, by Dr. C. Edward Sachau, Berlin. London:
necessary to know the epochal day of each era, For the Oriental Translation Fund by W. H. Allen
the months and the number of days they contain, and Co.
and in the case of intercalated years, the year in We owe the Oriental Translation Fund Com.
which the intercalation occurs. mittee and Dr. Sachau a debt of gratitude for A few notes made in the course of perusal of rendering this most interesting work on Oriental
the work, rather than a review, may afford some Chronology accessible to the English reader. It is idea of the character of its contents. well known that Albiruni's is one of the most com- Albiruni nowhere connects the Christian Era prehensive on the subject, whether by an Oriental with the Epochs to which he refers, but it is or Occidental author, and its general accuracy is agreed on all hands that the Era of Nabonassar no less marked a feature. The translator has done began on Wednesday, 26th February, 747 B.C. his work well, and with the most marked ability, With this and the Table of intervals on page 133, as is evidenced by the notes he has appended to it. it is easy to find the dates, according to Albiruni, The practical utility of the work lies in its at which the different eras commenced, thus :Jul. Per. days ... (4) 1448638
(6) 860173 Æra Diluvii........... (5) 588465 Thur.17th Feb. 3102 B.C. Egyptian years and months.
(6) 860173 Nabonassari ... (4) 1448638 Wed. 26th Feb. 747 B.C.
I do. (4) 154760 ,, Philippi ......... (1) 1603398 Sun. 12th Nov. 324 B.C.
4341 , Alexandri ...... (2) 1607739 Mon 1st Oct. 312 B.C. Syrian years and months.
(4) 104794 ► Augusti ........ (6) 1712533 Fri.' 29th Aug. 25 B.C. Greek years and Egyptian months.
(5) 58805 Antonini ......... (4) 1771338 Wed. 29th Aug. 137 A.D. do.
55643 Diocletiani ..... 1826981 Wed. 1st Jan. 290 A.D. Greek years and months.
(2) 121459 ,,Fugæ (Hijira)... (6) 1948440 Fri 16th July 622 A.D. Lunar years and Arabic months.
(4) 3623 „Yazdazirdi ...... (3) 1952063 Tues. 16th June 632 A.D. Persian years and months.
(1) 96055 ,, Mu'tadidi ......... (4) 2048118 Wed. 11th June 895 A.D. Greek years and Persian months.
The months belonging to each calendar are formule given for the Signum. Unfortunately found at p. 82. In those systems, such as the the results do not in all cases agree, and it is Æra Nabonassari, where vague years are in use, probable that there have been errors, either in it is only necessary to know where the five inter- transcription or in printing. For the Era Mu'tacalary days fall; as all the years resemble each didi, the Signum would give the third current other, having each 365 days. In the calendars year as Leap year, while by the rule given on where the years are Greek or Syrian, two me- the same page (185) it would be the first. As, thods of finding the intercalary year are given, however, New Year (Nauroz) always coincided the one on p. 136 '&c., the other on p. 175 &c., and with the 11th of Haziran (p. 139) there is no the same may be found in each case from the difficulty in finding the intercalary year to be the
1 Ideler says Friday (see p. 405). This Er is the same as the Kaliyug which began at midnight 17-18 Feb. 3102 B.C. The lunar Ahargana is counted from Thursday, the Solar from Friday. - Ideler gives Thursday (see p. 406).
3 This Era is tisuilly given a beginning on Friday 29th August 284 A.1., and with this the dates on p. 105 agree. Ideler makes the Epochal day Wednesday, (p. 406).
• Ideler gives Thursday. . From p. 37 we find that the Era of Almu'tadid was
after Yaz. (2.10 + 90) in the year when the 1st KhurdadhMah, falling on a Wednesday, coincided with the 11th of Haziran. It is easily found that lst Khur Mah. in the years Yaz. 261, 262, 263 and 264 fell on 11th Haziran in the Ara Alexandri 1203, 1204, 1205 and 1206, respectively, but it was only in the last of these years that the given day fell on a Wednesday. This Wednesday can be easily shown to have been 11th June 895 A.D. Hence lat Khur. 264, Yaz, 11th Haz. 1206, Alex. = Wed. 11th June 895 A.D. = Æra Mu'tadidi, agroeing with the date derived above.
