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JULY, 1914]
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
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Bindusara or even to Asoka.59 So the 13th year of Asoka must fall after 261 B. C., the accession of Antiochos Theos, and before 258 B. c., the death of Magas and, probably, of Alexander (if the last did not die even earlier). If, thus, the 13th year fell between 260-258 B. c., the year of the coronation must have been 272-270 B. C., and as Aboka had been, according to a unanimous tradition amongst the Buddhists, king four years before his coronation, his father Bindusara must have died between 276 and 274 B. C.
• This calculation is founded on the irrefutable basis of contemporaneous monuments. But now the Chronicles of the Buddhists tell us, that Asoka was anointed king in the 218th year after Buddha, after having put to death his 99 brothers.co If this statement were to be trusted, it would with certainty fix the death of Buddha in 489-487 B. c. But it cannot be taken as evidence, because it is contradicted by another notice in these same chronicles.ci I shall explain here what I think to be wrong in their calculations.
Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain tradition alike epeak of king Bimbisâra of Rajagrha, and his son and successor Ajátaśatru, whom the Jains call Kûniya or Koniya. And the oldest documents of the Buddhists tell us, that this Bimbisára was the contemporary of Buddha, and was put to death by his son Ajâta atru eight years before the Nirvana. This Bimbisára was according to the Purawas the fifth sovereign belonging to the Sâišunâga dynasty and reigned 28 years; but the Dipavamsa III, 56-61 and the Mahavamsa II, 25 sq. tell us that he was born five years after Buddha, was made king at the age of fifteen, and reigned 52 years. This is however of ro great importance, as Bimbisâra died before both Buddha and Mahavira. After Bimbisara came Ajátasatru (or Kupika), reigning for 25 years according to the Purana, and 32 according to the Ceylonese chronicles. Buddha died when he had been king for eight years. But here the coincidence, even in names between Brahmanical and Buddhist records ceases, for the Purâ na tells us that Ajátasatru was succeeded by a king, called Harsaka or Darsaka, who reigned 25 years, and whose successor was called Udaya, and reigned 33 years, while the Buddhists call the successor of Ajátasatru Udâyibhadda (DN.) or Udayabhaddaka (Dipav., Mahav.), and give him a period of 16 years, and the Jains call him Udâyin and attribute to him a rather long reign.c3
(To be continued.)
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA.
BY V. RANGACHARI, M.A., L.T., MADRAS.
(Continued from page 118)
The Palayams of Kongu. The Kongu country (Salem and Coimbatore) remains now to be noticed. The Madura MSS mention only three Palayams here, namely, Tali of the Ettula Naiks,
Talaimalai of the Ramachandra Naiks, and Dhârâmangalam of the Ghetti Mudaliârs; but the Mackenzie MSS contain the history of more than a score of Kongu Polygars,78 who
59 Cf. V. A. Smith Early History, p. 139.
0 That this is refuted by the Rock-Ed. V., where Acoka speaks of his brothers, was noticed by M. Senart Ind. Ant. XX, 256 sq.
61 I attach no importance whatsoever to the assertion of the northern Buddhists, that Asoka lived 100 years of the Nirvapa. This is a valueloes as the statement that Kaniyla lived 400 years after Buddha, a suggestion certainly to be viewed only in connexion with the former one.
62 This may have been his real name, as avouched by the oldest Buddhist and the Jain tradition 3 Upon this I shall deal further on.
78 All these are in Mack MSS, local tracta, BKS. IV, XVII, XVIII and XIX. They have been translated in Appendix VII and a reference to it will give an idea of the topography, the history, eto. of the Palayams. It is unnecessary to dwell upon them here.
