Indian Antiquary Vol 16

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 87

FEBRUARY, 1887.]
MISCELLANEA.
75
807, and the 31st January, A.D. 808; neither of Chinese officials at Peking themselves are unable which, by any means whatever, will answer to to answer the question. This is due to the system the recorded details.
of farming out the collections. The principal But, for Saka-Samvat 730, the Sarvadhárin source of income is the Land Tax, which is now. sanwatsara, the result, in the same way, is adaye much lower than it formerly was, from Thursday, the 27th July, A.D. 808; and on this various causes, amongst the chief of which may day there was an eclipse of the sun, as required." be mentioned the Taeping Rebellion. In every
And, to complete the facts for the three years district a register is kept, containing the name of under discussion, the result, in the same way, for every possessor of land, and no transfer of landed Saka-Samvat 728, the Vyaya sanwatsara, is Tues. property is legal which is not noted therein. In day, the 18th August, A.D. 806. But, on this day, many districts, however, the District register has there was no eclipse of the sun. And the only fallen into the greatest confusion, which materially solar eclipse recorded for that year, occurred on interferes with the collection of revenue. This the 16th September: i.e. on the new-moon day of is interesting to European officials, who remember the next month, Bhadrapada, according to the the state of the General Registers in Bengal some southern system; or, according to the northern
five or six years ago. The present land revenue system, of the following month, Akvina.
of China is estimated at about 20 million taels, The fact that in these two inscriptions Saka
against 32 millions in former favourable years. Samvat 730 is coupled with both the Vyaya and
The next item of revenue is the tax on natural the Sarvajit samvatsaras,-taken with the fact
products. It is difficult to calculate the value that, according to the southern reckoning, it
of this, as it is principally paid in kind, but the apparently should really have the name of Sarva
author estimates it as being worth to the Chinose dhárin,- led to the belief that there was some
Government about 74 million of taele, which, mistake in these two dates.
however, is but a small portion of that actually The solar eclipse, however, of the Radhanpur
collected. A third item of revenue is the Salt grant, seems to make it certain that the year
Monopoly, which forms an important factor in intended really is Saka-Samvat 780.
Chinese Finanoe. The management and system There remains a difficulty about the lunar
of this department is so complex that some eclipse of the Waņi grant; since the Tables give
details of its administration are necessary, which no eclipse that will suit the recorded details.
the author gives. The income from this source But here I shall leave the matter; having
is about 10 million taels. written the above notes as introductory to a paper
The second paper is a translation of portions a by Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit, who, I understand, will
of an essay by Mr. S. B. Todd, on the Diamond prove that the record of Saka-Samvat 730 in
Fields of South Africa. So also is the fourth, both grants, coupled with the names of two
taken from the Journal of Indian Art, and deal. beparate sariwatsaras, is quite correct.
ing with Bidari Ware.
The third paper (signed v. N.) is a most in J. F. FLEET. teresting abstract of General Prshewalski's
Journeys of Discovery in Central Asia. The PROGRESS OF EUROPEAN SCHOLARSHIP first journey (1871-1873) extended to the sources No. 3.
of Blue River. The third journey (1877) resulted (1) Oesterreichische Monatsschrift für den in the discovery of the source of the Yellow River. Orient, for 15th May 1886. The first article | The fourth (1883), which was attended with some (unsigned) deals with the Revenue Resources of fighting, was through Northern and Southern China. It is dated from Shanghai, and is Saidam, and thence to the Blue River, where he evidently written by one well versed in the was stopped by the Tanguts, and had to fight his subject. Previous writers, says the author, in- way back to Saidam. cluding Dr. Williams, author of the Middle Amongst the Miscellaneous Notes, is an inKingdom, have been unable to estimate, even teresting one on the clothing of the followers of approximately, the amount of the revenue, the Mahdi. The clothing consists in a pair of nor is this to be wondered at, when even the drawers, a kind of shirt with wide sleeves called
• Cunningham's Indian Eras, p. 212.
I myself took it (ante, Vol. XI. p. 157; and Dynasties of the Kanaren Districts, p. 34) that Saka-Samvat 730 was an error, in the Wani grant, for 728, and in the Radhanpur grant, for 729. Dr. E. G. Bhandarkar (Early History of the Dekkan, pp. 106, 107) considered that, in the Radhanpur grant, we have, somewhat un.
usually, a Sah year and a samvatsara both ourrent, and, in the Want grant, contrary to the (in his opinion) oustomary method, current Saka year, with paat Rathvatsara. Dr. Bühler (ante, Vol. VI. p. 71, note) remarked that the Sarvajit santwataara corresponds to Saka-Sathvat 731. But this is according to the northern reckoning of the cycle.