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SEPTEMBER, 1910.)
BOOK NOTICES.
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because archæological exploration in Burma is that the amânta Chaitra always begins at the now making considerable progress, and we new-moon oonjunction which occurs next after may expect to have, ere long, a very appreciable the entrance of the sun into the Hindu constellanumber of inore or less ancient records contain tion and sign Mina (Pisces), the first civil day of ing dates which can be, and should be, the year being the day after that conjunction; examined properly with a view to verification :
and the Chaitridi lunar year does not begin in fact, we already have a fair number of such earlier than on the thirtieth day (on very rare records, ranging from A. D. 1140 onwards, in occasions the thirty-first day)' before the Mëshidi the book Inscriptions of Pagan, Pinya and Ava, solar year regarded as beginning astronomically translatioas, published at Rangoon in 1899. We at the moment of the Mēsha-samkrānti. propose to re-examine in a separate article The Burmeso and Arakanese lunar year the dates which were examined by Professor answers theoretically to the Hindu Obsitriidi year. Kielhorn ; to show how they work out correctly It begins with the first day of the waxing or from the bases supplied by Mr. Irwin; and to I bright fortnight of the month Tagu, which is the ofter some remarks on the various reckonings Burmese and Arakanese equivalent of the Hindu which prevail or have prevailed in Burma.
Ohaitra. It, also, is regulated by a system of Meanwhile, we will indicate why Burmese dates intercalated months. And it is governed by a cannot be treated as Hindū dates, though solar year beginning at the entrance of the sun theoretically the Burmese year is of the same into Mēsha, called by the Burmese and Arakanese nature with the Hindü year.
Meiktha. But there are the following important The principal Hindu lunar year is the differences in detail between the Hindu and Obaitrīdi year, which begins with the first day - the Burmese and Arakanese systems. The of the lukla or bright fortnight of the month details of the Hindu calendar, both lunar and Chaitra, now falling in March or April. This solar, are all regulated by true time (i. e., true year is governed by the Hindu astronomical
according to the Hindu bases); the true newsolar year, which begins at the Mēsha-sarh kranti, moons, the true entrances of the sun into the the entrance of the sun into the Hindu cons
successive signs of the zodiao, the true endingtellation and sign Mēsha, which answers to our
times of the tithis or lunar days, and so on. But Aries, but does not actually coincide with
the Burmese and Arakanese regulate their either the sign or the constellation Aries. The calendar entirely by mean time. They use the beginning of Chaitra, taken as the amanta
mean new-moon, which does not by any means month (beginning and ending at the new-moon
always fall on the same day with the Hindu conjunction), must always precede the moment
true new-moon. And instead of the true of the Mēbha-samkrānti. But, also, the Mesha.
Mēsha-sarakrānti, the actual entrance of the sankranti must always occur in the amanta
sun into Mēsba, they use the entrance of the Chaitra. This connection between the lunar and mean sun into Mēsha, called Thingyan Tet by the solar years is maintained by the system of
them, which comes later than the true entrance intercalation and suppression of lunar months,
by two days and about four hours. Further, the which gives from time to time thirteen months,
Hindus (as explained above) intercalate months instead of the ordinary twelve, to the lunar year,
on scientific lines, and from at least about A,D. and is regulated on the following scientific basis :
1050-1100 have determined the intercalations when there are two new-moons while the sun is
by the actual new-moons and entrances of in one and the same sign of the zodiac, a lunar the sun into the successive signs; with the month is intercalated, in the sense that the name
result that any month whatsoever is liable to of a month is repeated; when (as happens occa- be intercalary, and a month is occusionally supsionally in an autumn or winter month) the sun pressed. But the Burmese and Arakanese interenters two successive signs in the course of one calate by rule of thumb, on the principle of the lunar month, a lunar month is expunged or Metonic system, and have no suppressed months : suppressed, in the sense that its name is passed
with the Burmese the intercalated month is always oyer. And the Chaitrādi lunar year is thus | Wazo (= Ashādha), and with tbe Arakanese it is bound to the Mēshüdi solar year in such a manner I always Tagu (Chaitra); this expedient having
In the years A. D. 300 to 1900, the elements of which are giveu in Sowell and Dikshit's Indian Calendar, Tablo I, I detoot only one case of this : in A.D. 1137, when Chaitra itself was intercalary, bukla 1 of the first Chaitra began on 21 February; the Mösha-sathkranti was on 24 March.
In actual practice, however, the system of trae intercalation works out in such a manner that, during the period covered by Tablo I of Sowell and Dikshit's Indian Calendar, thoro was no intercalation of Pansha and Mägha, and only ono of Märgairaha, in A.D. 1293.
