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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[AUGUST, 1913.
BOOK NOTICE. INDIAN CHRONOLOGY :- A practical guide to the inter- 500 A. D. is made only according to the Stryapretation and verification of Tith's, Nakshatras,
siddhanta. It is aecurate and clear, but it is likely Horoscopes, and other Indian Time-records, from
to lead the reader to form the wrong impression B. c. 1 to A. D. 3000-By DEWAN BARADUR L. D.
that Súrya-riddhanta was followed in those days SWAWIKANNU PILLAI, M.A., B.L., LL.B.; published by Grant Co., Madras (1911). Price Rs. 5.
also. Var&hamidhira's Pancha-siddlántikd no Tex present book by Dewan Bahadur S. Pillai
doubt refers to a Séryasiddhanta, but it was not dealing with the citation of dates according to
the Strya-siddhanta of the present day, from which the various systems in vogue in India ranging
the author has adopted the mode of calculation in between 1 B. C. and 2000 A. D. fills a longfelt
the book. The calculation of the dates prior to want. Ronghly speaking the book may be said
500 A.D. according to the latter-day Súryato consist of two main divisione-the letter
siddhanta is, therefore, not quite in harmony with press and the tables. The former gives the
facts, and is merely a carrying backwards of the preliminary information necessary for an intel
process used authentically only for the period ligent use of the tables. It explains the relations
from 500 A.D. onwards. between Indian Astronomy and Indian Chronology.
The eye-table appended at the end of the book Chapter XV gives a list of the principal systems
sums up the results of the preceding tables, and of chronology in use in India, along with the
is of great value for obtaining general results. mode of calculating the equivalent Christian date
It gives in a remarkably well condensed form therefrom. The catalogue of Hindu festivals in
almost all the items necessary to determines relation to tithis given in Chapter XVI is likely
date with fair accuracy. But for obtaining a to prove of much interest even to the ordinary
detailed result, the reader must resort to the layman. The three parts, into which the letter
preceding tables. press of the book is actually divided, are so
Messrs. Dikshit and Sewell's book on Indian arranged and treated that they gradually develope
Ohronology has acquired prominence because it one into the other, without in the least slackening
was the first one in the field, but in point of the interest of the general reader in the study of
cheapness and utility Dewan Bahadur S. Pillai's even such a dry abstruse subject as chronolo
present publication in our opinion is much better. gical research.
To an ordinary man Dikshit and Sewell's book is By far the most important portion of the
prohibitive owing to its high price, and consebook-and also the practical one-is the tables
quently there was a longfelt want of a cheap given therein. They occupy nearly 250 pages
ready-reckoner of dates. Mr. S. Pillai's book, closely bristling with figures. They are twenty
however, meets this want to a remarkable degree.
His methods are on the whole generally correct two in all, embodying the various items of value
and sound. To workers in the various fields of and interest to the historian, the arebæologist
antiquities and archæology, the present book and chronologist. In these tables the most
must prove to be of incalculable value. To the important one, and of greater practical inter
layman also it will be of no small interest, est to the ordinary man of the world, is
inasmuch as hardly anyone will be found who Table x, which enables him to know the exact has not at any time to look up some old date or English equivalent of any date from 1 B. C. to another. Mr. S. Pillai's book is being constantly A. D. 2000. In this table also are given the used by the Bharat-Itihas-sanshodhak-mandal of solar years, new moons, and eclipses that occur
Poona for verifying dates from Marath& history. during this long period of time. The calculations
In the course of calculations made for several for this period of two thousand years is made
dates of the Marathi period, only one inaccuraey according to the mode followed in the Súrya
was detected. On page 116, the week day of let siddhanta as it is found at present. For the
January 1704 ought to be 7 (Saturday) and not period from A. D. 500 to A. D. 999 the calculation
1 (Sunday) as printed in Table X. This is the
only misprint so far discovered. But speaking according to the Aryadsiddhanta also is given, and
generally, the work is remarkably free from this special calculation is valuable owing to the misprints or inaccuracies of any kind, which are immense influence which the Arya-siddhanta too often the besetting sin of books teeming enjoyed during this period. Dewan Bahadur S. with figures. Pillai's calculation for the period from 1 B. C. to Poona.
6. S. KEARE.
