________________
398
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1891.
(6).-Dates in expired years: 20 (V. 1043 to V. 1875); i.e. 74.1°%.
[parnimânta: 14; amânta: 6.) ().-Půrņimanta dates of current years or amânta dates of expired years : 5 (V. 1229 to
V. 1535); 1.e. 18.5°%. 2.-Dates in the months Chaitra to Åbvina. Number of dates : 43 (from V. 960 to V. 1877).
Results: (a). - Dates in northern current years: 2 (V. 1202 and V. 1256); i.e. 4.7%.
. (půrņimânta: 2; amânta : 0.] (6). - Dates in north. exp. (or south. curr.) years: 15 (V. 960 to V. 1877); i.e. 34.99%
(pürņimânta : 12; amânta : 3.) (). - Dates in southern expired years : 18 (V. 994 to V. 1538); i.e. 41.99%
Epurņimanta: 8; amântà :10.) Uncertain : 8; i.e. 18.6°l.; viz. -
(d). — North. curr. amânta, or south. exp. púrņimânta : 2 (V. 1225 and V. 1390); (e). - North. curr, amânta, or north, exp. or south, exp. půrnimânta : 1(V. 1315); ().- North. exp. pûrņimânta, or south. exp. amânta : 5 (V. 1332 to V. 1570).
Current and Expired Years. The result obtained under A. 1, by which the years of only two dates out of 26 are current years, shows at once that it has been at all times the rule to quote the Vikrama years as expired years, and that current years were quoted only exceptionally. And this conclusion is supported by the combined results under A. 1 and 2, and B. 1 and 2, which show that only nine dates out of the total number of 150 mast necessarily be regarded as dates in current years. Now this result, though it would not permit us to speak with confidence about any one individual date, may certainly be used, for statistical purposes, to pronounce an opinion on the nature of a whole set of dates, the years of which our calculations would permit us to regard as eithe current or expired.
Thus, the five dates under B. 1, c, which in accordance with our calculations might be regarded as either purnimánta dates of current years, or amanta dates of expired years, may with little chance of error all be put down as amánta dates of expired years. And similarly may the two dates under B. 2, d, be safely regarded as púrnimánta dates of southern expired years, and the date under B. 2, e, as a púrnimánta date of either a northern or southern expired year. Occasionally our proceeding in this manner may indeed be shown to be correct by independent arguments. This is the case e.g. with the date of the year V. 1225 in an inscription of the Mahanayaka Pratápadhavaladeva, which by the result of the calculation falls under B. 2, d, (No. 243); for this date cannot be separated from another date of the same year V. 1225 in an inscription of the same chief (No. 126), which we know for certain to be a púrņimánta date of a southern expired year.
As regards the 27 dates under A. 2, 6, and the 15 dates under B. 2, 6, the years of which theoretically might be regarded as either northern expired or southern current years, it may safely be assumed that nearly all are dates in northern expired years, and they will all be classed as such below. But it cannot be denied that one or two of their number may really be dates in southern current years, and I mention this here at once to show that, in treating these dates as I do, I am not showing any undue favour to the southern year. The year of the single date under A. 2, d, may be taken to be the southern expired year, because the eclipse mentioned in the date was visible in India in that year only. As to the five dates under B. 2, f,
