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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1924
Venpoli Natu, thorefore, would have boon by no means omitted in tho copper plate under discussion, if the dynasty of that name were in existence at that time.
The following objection may be raised against this conclusion. The king of Otunâţu (Kayamkulam) and the Brahman divisions of Panniyûr and Chokira are mentioned in the Vira Raghave copper plate, but not in the Parkara Iravi plates. This, however, is not & weighty objection. Since there were no Jews in Otunåtu, the king of Otunâ tu need not necessarily be a witness. The same may be the case with the Brahmans of Panniyûr and Chokira. Perhaps there may have been no Jews in those places where these Brahmans had some sort of authority. Or perhaps Pårkara Iravi did not think of giving so much prominence to the Brahmans as his predecessor, Vîra Raghava, had given.
As for the omission of Venpoli Nâțu in our copper plate, it cannot by any means be explained away, if that dynasty were in existence at that time. This is also a piece of presumptive evidence, which shows that Vira Raghava was earlier than Parkara Iravi.
6. There is one more piece of presumptive evidence to show that Vira Raghava is older than Parkara Iravi. The "emperors" of Keralam were, no doubt, Kshattrias and their language Sanskrit. From the inscriptions of Keralam we know only five of them-Vira Kerala Chakravartti, Rajadhiraja Paramêsvara Bhattaraka Rajasekhara Dêvar, Vîra Râghava Chakravartti, Pårkara Iravi, and Tâņu Iravi. The first three names retain their Sanskrit forms and the other two Sanskrit names are Tamilised. The Aryan colonists in the south of India would not easily allow their names to be Tamilised. We, therefore, may infer that they only allowed it many centuries after their colonisation. So the "emperors" who bore Tamilised names, Pårkara Iravi and Tånu Iravi, were later than those who bore pure Sanskrit names, Vira Kerala, Rajasekhara, and Vira Raghava. Vira Kerala is shown to be of the first century B.C. Rajasekhara and Vira Raghava too are, therefore, earlier than Pårkara Iravi and Tâņu Iravi.
II. Astronomical Evidence. It is said in the copper plate that it was executed on the day of Rəhiņi (4th asterism), & Saturday, the 21st of the Solar month Mina, when Jupiter was in Makara (Capricorn). From the Astronomical positions given here, we should find out the date.
Preliminary Discussions. Before we proceed to find out the date on an Astronomical basis, there are some preliminary enquiries to be made.
The Age of Indian Astronomy. This is the first point. There are some who think that the Indian Astronomical systems are of lato origin. But the contrary can be easily proved. Even in the Hindu Vedas, the twenty-seven asterisins, the divisions of the ecliptio are enumerated. Kautilya of the fourth century B.C. mentions Astronomy as one of the six angas of the Vedas. (Kautilya's Arthuisastra, translated by R. Shamasastri, B.A., Book I, Ch. III, p. 7.) Further he makos mention of lunar month (chandramusa), solar month (seura) and sideroal month (nakshatramisi) (Ibid., Book II, Ch. XX, p. 134). "A fore. cast of rainfall," says Kautilya again, " can be made by observing the position, motion and pregnancy of Jupiter, the rise and set and motion of Venus, and the natural or unnatural aspect of the Sun." (Ibid., Book II, Ch. XXIV, p. 143.) A king, according to him, should consult an astrologer overy day. (Ibid., Book I, Ch. XIX, p. 43.) There can be no astrology without a somewhat complete Astronomy. While speaking about India, Strabo, a Greek author who lived during the early part of the first century A.D., says: "They (Pramnae) ridicule the Brahmans as boasters and fools for occupying themselves with Physiology and Astronomy” (Geography of Strabo, translated by H. C. Hamilton and W. Falconer, Book XV, Ch. 1, s. 70, p. 117). From all this it is clear that the Indians began their study of Astronomy before the commencement of the Christian era. Alberuni, who
