Book Title: Religion and Culture of the Jains
Author(s): D C Sirkar
Publisher: University of Calcutta

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Page 129
________________ 114 RELIGION AND CULTURE OF THE JAINS of ekavimsa, it is ekatrimśa. 55 If we accept Pathak's reading as correct, then we must accept the fact that Gupta rule in North India ended in 550-51 A.D. This date agrees with what is given in an earlier Jain work entitled Tiloyapanṇatti of Yativṛṣabha (Jadivasaha) which was probably composed in the first half of the 7th century A.D. The relevant line there runs thus tato Guttā tāṇam rajje donni ya sayāṇi igitīsā.56 But the same work offers another date for Gupta rule in the same chapter. The relevant words run-doņņi sadā paṇavaṇṇā Guttānam (4.1504) which means that the Guptas ruled for 255 years. But it is difficult to believe that the rule of the Imperial Guptas lasted upto 575 (320+255) A.D. The latest record which refers to a Paramabhaṭṭāraka Mahārājādhirāja Gupta ruler is the Damodarpur copper plate of the Gupta year 224. After this date no Imperial Gupta ruler is known to have assumed such titles, Therefore, year 231 is a more acceptable date than 255 or 221.* Fleet in his editorial note on Pathak's paper, observes. 'Jinasena has hit off pretty accurately the duration of the Gupta power'.57 Some other chronological information given by the author of the Harivamsa is probably based on the Tiloyapanṇatti. In both these works, we are told, that Pusyamitra ruled for 30 years58 and Vasumitra and Agnimitra had a total rule of 55 See Raychaudhuri in PHAI (6th ed.), pp. 626f. Raychaudhuri is inclined to accept Pathak's reading. 56 4.1508. *The Gupta-rajya is represented as vartamāna in the Sumandala plate of the Gupta year 250 (569 A.D.) when Prthivivigraha was governing the Kalinga-raṣṭra. The tradition of the end of Gupta rule about the Gupta year 255 (574 A.D.) is correct in respect of Orissa since Prthivivigraha's successor Lokavigraha issued his Kanas plate in the Gupta year 280 (599 A.D.) without any reference to Gupta rule. See Jadunath Sarkar Vol., ed. Gupta, pp. 343ff.; The Bharata War and Puranic Genealogies, ed. Sircar, pp. 147-48.--Ed.) 57 Ind. Ant., Vol. XV, p. 143. 58 Hariv., 60.489; Tiloyapaṇnati, 4.1507. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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