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AUGUST, 1888.)
MURDER OF 'ALI PADIL SHAH I.
221
date, if falling within the 8th century A.D., grant to have been made on the occasion of the must, generally speaking, fall on or after June Karkata-samkranti, on the tenth tithi of the 22, the approximate day of the Karkata-sam- bright half of Ashâdha, and recorded on a Sunkránti.
day, the 12th of the bright half of the same Supposing the date to be recorded in the month, June 22 and Sunday, June 24, A.D. Chôdi era, and taking that era to commence on 786, satisfy the requirements of the case; July 28 (or, possibly, on August 26), A.D., 249 and if the tenth tithi was a kshaya-tithi, which the corresponding year would be either A.D. I have good grounds for believing that it was, 735 or 736, according as the figure 486 denotes the reason why the grant should bave been made the current year or the number of years ex- and recorded on different days, is perhaps not pired. In A.D. 735 the Karkata-samkránti took far to seek. place on Thursday, June 23, which was the Regarding the Chedi year, I may finally 13th of the dark half of a month, while the state that the calculation of the only two 10th of the bright half of Ashâdha had fallen available dates in dark fortnights, viz. that of already on Sunday, June 5, i.e. no less than the Benares copper-plate inscription of Karnaeighteen days before the Sankranti. Neither dêva (above, No. 1), and that of the Bhêraof the two days can be the day intended. Ghât inscription of the year 928 (above, No. 8,
In A.D. 736, on the other hand, the Karkata- to which however I can attach only little imsankranti took place about 8 hours after sun-portance), shows the Chêdi year to have been rise of June 22; and the tenth tithi of the & northern year, with the regular púrnimánta bright half of ÅshAdha began 21 minutes after northern arrangement of the months. This is mean sunrise of June 22, and ended lh 21m also proved (as was first remarked to me by before mean sunrise of June 23. The tithi Mr. Fleet on Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit's authority), therefore, in all probability, was a kshaya-tithi, by the record in the Jabalpur grant of Gayabut, under any circumstances, the Karkata- karnadêva, mentioned above, of the occurrence sankranti, in A.D. 786, did take place of the Makara-samkranti in the dark fortnight during the tenth tithi of the bright half of of Mågha. For, since the first day of the solar Åshadha. June 22, however, was a Friday, month Magha must precede the first day of the not a Sunday; and the nearest Sunday, June bright half of the lunar Mâgha, the Makara24, was the 12th of the bright half of samkranti, which introduces the solar Mågha, Åshadha, because the 12th tithi of the may well take place in the dark half of the bright half ended on it, 20h 37m after mean lunar Magha when the latter, as is the case in sunrise.
the northern year, precedes the light half; but Now, taking into consideration that in the it cannot do so in the southern year where the whole century from A.D. 676 to 775, there is dark half of the lunar Mågha follows upon the not a single year in which the Karkata-san- light half of the same month. kranti fell on any Sunday which was the tenth In conclusion, I have to thank my friend of the bright half of Ashâdha or of any other Professor Jacobi for having allowed me the month, I believe that, if the date must really use, before actual publication, of his Tables, by be referred to the Chêdi era, we have to resort the construction of which he has rendered a to the other possible interpretation of the date service of the utmost importance to all who which I have spoken of. And assuming the I take an interest in Indian inscriptions.
STORY OF THE MURDER OF 'ALI 'ADIL SHAH I., FIFTH KING OF BIJAPUR, AS TOLD BY CONTEMPORARY HISTORIANS.
BY CAPTAIN J. S. KING, Bo.S.C. No detailed account of the death of 'All lowing words :-"In 1580 'Ali was assassinated 'Adil Shah I. has yet been published in in a brawl with one of his servants." English. In the Bijâpar volume of the Bombay Farishta' gives the following account of -Gazetteert this event is disposed of in the fol- it :-"In the year 987 (A.D. 1579-80), as the 1 Vol. XXIII. p. 419.
* Briggs, ed. Vol. III. p. 149 n.
