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MARCH, 1889.)
MISCELANEA.
93
If the year 417 of the Ilao grant is taken as forget to substitute the purnimanta for the expired, we have either the eclipse of the 10th May, amanta months in his results,-then, admitA.D. 495, which day corresponds quite regularly ting, in respect of the Bagumra grant, an to the pirnimanta Jyêshtha krishna 15; or that erroneous intercalation, or even a mistake of of the Bth June, A.D. 495, whicl day corresponds a month, either of which would be quite possible quite regularly to the amanta Jyêahtha krishna 15. in calculating back for so long a time, wo have a But, to match it, taking the year 415 of the very simple explanation of the circumstances Bagumra grant as expired, we have only one under which these grants were fabricated eclipse, that of the 29th June, A.D. 493. And if, by with a plausible approach to accuracy. the introduction of an erroneous intercalation, the
J. F. FLEET. new-moon of Jyêshtha is brought to this date, this can only be effected by using the ananta month. THE YEAR COMMENCING WITH THE MONTH Again, if the year 417 of the IIAO grant is
ASHADHA. taken as ourrent, we have only one eclipse, that
Some time ago, I heard from Mr. Vajeshan. of the 19th June, A. D. 494. If, by assuming an kar Gaurishankar, of Bhaunagar, that, in the erroneous intercalation, or by adopting the more western part of Kathaway, there is current a year ancient role of the Brahma-Siddhanta for naming commencing with the Ashadha sukla 1 that the intercalated fortnights, the new-moon of precedes the Karttika sukla 1 with which the Jyêshtha is brought to this date, this again can Vikrama year of the rest of the Province com. only be effected by using the amanta month. mences; and that this year is called the Halari And, to match it, taking the year 415 of the year, as belonging specially to the HALAr Prånt or Bagumr& grant as current, we have only one Sub-Division of Kåthiâwâd. eclipse, that of the 10th July, A. D. 492. And, if Since then, Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit has ascertained the new-moon of Jyêshtha is brought to this from a merchant of the Halar Prånt, now resident date, this can only be effected again by introduc- at Barai, that, in addition to that part of the ing an erroneous intercalation, and again by country, this year is at present in use at using the amanta month.
Amreli, Damnagar, and Jaitpur or Jetpur, in (4) Thus, whether the years are taken as Kathiawad. And he has seen letters from current or as expired, the possibility of obtain- Kathiawad, addressed to the same merchant, in ing uniform results rests entirely upon the which, before the month of Ashadha of Sakause of the amants arrangement of the lunar Samvat 1810 (expired) (A.D. 1888-89), the Vikrama fortnights, for a period in which it is not at all year is quoted as 1914 (expired); and after Ashâdha likely that this arrangement was used with the sukla 1, ás 1945 (expired). He has also ascertained years of the Saka era, even in Gujarat: supposing that the same year is in use at Idar in the that the era itaelf was then used there, which I do Mah-Kantha Agenoy, about sixty-four miles not believe to be possible.
north-east of Ahmadabad, and within a radius of (5) On the other hand, the amanta arrange- about fifty miles round that place; but that there ment is the one that, irrespective of the scheme the year commences, according to one informant, of the year for the civil reckoning in any particu- with the amants Ashadha krishna 2, and lar part of the country, was habitually used by according to another, with AshAdha sukla 2. Hindu astronomers for purposes of calouls- And in & Panchang for A.D. 1888-89, printed tion. This is the arrangement that would, as a at the Union Press, Ahmadabad, he has found matter of course, be applied by the calculator, in the samvatsara-phala the passage - samvat employed by the forger of a grant, to reckon back 1944 Ashadh-Adi-samvat 1945 Saka 1810 asmin for a real, or possibly real, eclipse. And so, if we varshé Sårvari-nama-samvatsarah agro ...... only refer the fabrication of these grants to the Kirttika-sul-12-Guruvåsarê Plava-samvatsaraperiod when the amants arrangement had per- pravēšah," the southern Vikrama) year 1941 manently superseded the purnimanta arrange (expired), the (Vikrama) year, beginning with ment for the Baks years, everywhere except in Ashadha, 1945 (expired); Saka 1810 (expired); Northern India and in those parts of Central in this year (i.e. on Chaitra sukla 1), (there is) India in which the purnimanta arrangement is the samvatsara named Sarvari [by the meanstill preserved, -in consequence of which fact, even sign system): later on....... on Thursday, the if he had any means of ascertaining that the 12th tithi of the bright fortnight of Karttika, arrangement had been different in the period, and there commences the Plava samvatsara." in the particular part of the country, for which he These notes are now issued in the hope that was calculating, the calculator might easily they may lead to the collection of additional
Seo Corp. Inscr. Indic. Vol. III. Introd. p. 79, note 1.
