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OCTOBER, 1896.) ON THE DATES OF THE SAKA ERA IN INSCRIPTIONS.
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chronological list in Vol. XXIV. p. 181 ff., 16 are from inscriptions marked as spurious, and 116 dates contain no details for exact verification ; 78 other datest would seem to be altogether irregalar; and the remaining 190 dates (which include the 122 dates already mentioned) are either quite regular or contain only slight errors which do not prevent our ascertaining their exact European equivalents. And here, again, I find that, of the years of these 190 dates, 141 undoubtedly are expired and 38 current. The result of our examination, therefore, 60 far shews that, for about every four Saka dates with expired yoars, wo have one date the year of which is a current one.
But this very general conclusion is liable to considerable modifications, when we take into account the different periods to which the dates belong.
Of 30 regular dates of the classified list from S. 534 (the year of the earliest genuine Saka date which contains details for verification) to S. 1000, the years of 29 dates were expired years, and the year of only one date was a current year; of 48 dates from 'S. 1001 to S. 1200, 30 quote expired and 18 current years; of 15 dates from S. 1201 to S. 1400, 12 quote expired and 3 current years; and of 25 dates from S. 1401 to the most recent times, 24 quote expired years, and the year of only one date is a current one. Or, taking the dates of the chronologionl list, of 41 dates from 'S. 534 to S. 1000, 40 dates quote expired years, and the year of only one date is a carrent one; of 71 dates from S. 1001 to S. 1200, 41 quote expired and 30 current years; of 31 dates from S. 1201 to S. 1400, 26 quote expired and 5 current years; and of 36 dates from S. 1401 to the most recent times, 34 quote expired and only 2 current years.
From these details it appears that, down to 3. 1000, the rule was to quote the Saka years as expired years, and that current years, till then, were quoted very exceptionally indeed. Afterwards we see a remarkable change. In the 11th and 12th centuries tho proportion of current to expired years is as 3 to 5, or even as 3 to 4. During the two next centuries current years again are quoted much less frequently; and during the four last oenturies the earlier practice of quoting expired years only has been re-established to such an extent that my list of quite regular dates contains only a single date with a current year, which is later than 8. 1400. Had we only the Saka dates before S. 1000 and after s. 1400, the practice of the Saka era, so far as can be judged by the dates collected, might be said to entirely agree with the general practice of the Vikrama era. The difference between the two eras in the relative frequency of expired and current years is due to the Saka dates between S. 1000 and S. 1400, more especially to those between S. 1000 and S. 1200.
The result arrived at regarding the nature of the earlier years of the Saka era, in my opinion, must lead us to consider as expired the years of the four dates (of S. 534, 716, 730 and 789) also, the calculation of which, owing to the fact that no weekdays are given by the dates, has left us the choice between current and expired years. And it will be seen below that, in respect of at least two of these dates (those of S. 716 and 730), this view is supported by the fact that the solar eclipses mentioned in them were visible in India in the expired, and not visible in the current years.
• It should not be forgotten that of many of the inscriptions from which these dates are taken we do not, as yet, possess critical editions.
Down to 8. 1000, the only genuine and correct date in my published lists, with details for exact verification, which quotes a current year, is that of the Kala-Budrůkh plates of the Y Adava Bhillama III. of $. 918, Vol. XXII. p. 129, No. 98. An earlier correct date, of 8. 943 current, I have given in Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 68. The dates Nos. 16, 19 and 86 of the chronological list, of 8. 730, 735 and 896, which would seem to quote current years, are irregulur, The dato No. 79 of the same list of 8. 872, contains no details for exact verification ; and the date No. 80, also of S. 872, is called by Dr. Fleet, on historical grounds, & quite impossible date. -Perhaps it may be noted bore, what will be more fully shown hereafter, that of three of the principal technical expressions by which the Sakn era in donoted in the dates-Saka-varahdahv-atitishu, Sakuripr-kalat ita-jawatara, and Saka varsha-50 far as rokarda the dates collected, the two first are used comparatively rarely after 8. 1000, wbile the last is used more frequout! botween 8. 1060 and 8. 1200 thar in all the other centuries together,
• Yol. XXIII. pp. 130, 131, Nos. 106-109.
