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Rasesh Jamindar
as thought by Dr Indraji, 80 even if Nahapana wanted to honour hig overlord how can he justify himself by calling the era as Śaka ?
Dr DR Bhandarkar? also supported Dc Indraji that Vooones was the founder of the Saka era He established his thesis on the ground that neither Nahapāna por Castana was the originator of the Saka era as they were vassals of Kaniska But bath these krogs were independent as stated above 8 Ho further argues "that unless the saka nationality of Kanışka is estab lished, all attempts to show that he was the founder of the Saka era mugt be futile", and so considers that Vonones started the said era But what has been argued for Kanişka can we got argue the same for Vonones that unless the Saka nationality of Vonones 18 proved, his arguements to show that Vonones was the 10augurator of the Sake era must be in vain ? Vonones was & Parthiano and therefore Dr Bhandarkar's theory 18 untenable Again it is quite obvious that Vonones flourished during the first century B C in Scistan So this again proves that in no circumstance he is congi dered to be the founder of the Saka era
It was Fergussonde who first started the theory that Kaniska was the Inaugurator of the Saka era This view has been adopted by most scholars in the past and even today, but only be and Oldenberg bad given reasons in favour of their thesis, while others have simply followed them
Fergusson's main source was numismatics He mostly depended on Roman coins of the Consular peciod (43 BC) which were found along with those of Kanişka in the Manikyal Tope This Topo was built by him shows that he flourished after that date 1 e 43 BC But even Ferguson did not say how many years after that date Kapiska lived Therefore, bus view falls to the ground He further took the help of coins of Kadpbises, Kanişka and Haviska found from Ahio Pose Tope near Jelalabad together with the Roman coins of Domitian, Trajan and the Empress Sabina Domitian and Trajan flourished during AD 81 to 96 and AD 98 to 117 respectively." while the Empress Sabina lived in the middle of the second century A D This shows that the erection of the Tope cannot be earlier than 120 A D 15 Thus this is also not acceptable
According to Oldenberg's Kaniska was Sake He based his arguments upon the third word EAKA which occurs on the colag of Kaniska He mostly depended on Kanişka colds and then aasoned that he reigned about the close of the first century AD He also assumed that there was no other Indlan king at this time so famous and popular aa Kaniska And fipally he propagated that he was the founder of the Saka era
It was Percy Gardener!4 wbo first published Kaplşka's coin and read the third word as 'Saka', and on this ground Oldenborg advocated that
