Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 61
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(MAY, 1932
primitive system of exogamy the conclusions sug. The question of SatavAhana chronology is dealt gested by the super-imposed Hindu practices which, with at much length with an abundance of references As Crooke so well establishes, have overlaid so many from the Puranas, Jains and other texts, inscriporiginal superstitions, is to travel far from the truth. tions and coins, resulting in the framing of a Briefly, Mr. Abbott's method, interesting as it is, complete list of 29 kings from Simuka Satavahana suggests the work of an archmologist who would (314-48 B.C.) down to Pulom Avi III (231-238 attempt to describe the buildings in ancient Rome! A.D.) giving the probable duration of each reign. on the results of a study of the recently erected This is a valuable piece of work in itself, and will Vittorio Emmanuele monument. All the same, servo m an important aid to the unravelment of we are indebted to him for the useful additions tangled period of history. Mr. Jayaswal is to which his researches have made to a most important be commended for the attention paid to the exami. ethnological problem, and one that lies at the nation of the Jaina texts, which so often furnish root of the question of caste and tribal origins
reliable historical data. Fresh light has thus been in India.
thrown on Nahapana and on the Saka dynasty in R. E. E. Seurastra (Appe. A and B).
The Vikramaditya of Gunadhya and Somadeva's JOURNAL OF THE BIHAR AND ORISSA RESEARCH story is identified with Kuntala Satakarni (75.78
SOCIETY, vol. XVI, Pte. III and IV, Septem. A.D.), son and successor of Mahendra Satakarni ber-December, 1930.
(72-75 A.D.), who is regarded as the Satavahana The leading article in this issue of the JBORS. of 78 A.D. who defeated the Sakas : it is suggested is a long and important paper on Probleme of that this explains for the first time the puzzling Saka-Śåtaváhana History' by Mr. K. P. Jayaswel, Hindu tradition that as in 58 B.C. Vikramaditya in which he discusses a large number of con- won a signal victory over the Šakas, marking an troversial questions with characteristic soumen era, ao in 78 A.D. king Salavahana, grandson and wealth of reference. Mr. Jayaswal would of his, gained a victory over them once more, place the initial year of the earlier Saka era,' another era being reckoned from that event. “On as he prefers to call it, at about 123 s.c. He the other hand," Mr. Jayaswal adds, "we have does not accept the view that the historical Saka the dofinito statement of the Jains tradition and era (78 A.D.) was established by Wima Kad. historical evidence in ita favour that the Saks phises, pointing out that we have records dated Era was started by a saka king. Both traditions 187 and 191 of the time of Wima, which is sufficient are true. (The) year 78 A.D. Was the beginning to prove that he did not establish an ors of his of the Saka Era and was also the year of the second own. He holds that the date on the Amohini Saka defeat in Western India at the hands of the tablet of the reign of MahAkshatraps Sodass is Salavahana, who was in fact #descendant of 42, and not 72, and would equate it with about the first victor of the sakas, Gautamiputra SI B.C.
Śátakarni." Mr. Jayaswal expresses the conviction that some interesting suggestions aro made towards Gautamiputra Satakarni was the Vikramaditya the identification of the dynasties mentioned in of Hindu story and of the Jains githds, and that the Puranas as conteroporary with the Andhra, it was he who conquered Nahapana and freed the the numbers of their kings and their reign periods. whole of MAlava and Avanti from the Sakas. He Finally Mr. Jayaswal expresses the conviction chinks it probable that the Malavas took a leading that the Puranas contain information sufficient part in the campaign, and that it was they who i to furnish a complete account of local sovereignties founded the V.S. era, “as marking the foundation betwoun the Andhras and the Guptas, but no one of their Rajput Ana guna-stato, which synchronized has set his hand to clear up this so-called dark with the defeat of the Sakas and was evidently period. We can only hope that Mr. Jayaswal, connected with it." He elaborates his provious who is so eminently fitted for it, will be able to conclusion that the Kushåna dynasty were Sakas, find time to undertake the task himself. and emphasizes the point that contemporary, While several of Mr. Jayaswal's findings are formal documents disclose Kush Apa as the personal necesarily opon to modification in the event of name of the father and predecessor of Wima. The further evidence becoming available, we com. torm Kush Apa, he further points out, is not employed mend the courage with which he has tackled in the Puranas, which may be regarded as support- many thorny points, the extent of his research and ing his view that it was not the tribal or family the ability in piecing together dinjected data shown name, but " personal name adopted by the founder in this paper. of the dynasty."
C. E. A. W. O.
