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34
Rasesh Jamindar
numismatics, paleography and philology Dubreuil puts Nahapana near beginning of Christian era suggesting that inscriptions of his times are not dated in the Saka era He also positively thinks that Castana flourished between 75 and 85 AD He further argues that it is but natural to suppose that the founder of the dynasty was also the founder of the era used by it Outside the kingdom of Catana and his descendants not a single inscription has been found which is dated in the above era "'"1
This is in short the views of Dubreuil His main weakness is that for Nahapana be uses all the archeological etc sources, while for Castana he does not consider those sources worthy and he just dares to surmise that the Castana was the founder of the era simply because he was the founder of the dynasty This, therefore, can hardly be called an argument
After Dubreuil the theory of Castana being the originator of the Saka era was again completely abandoned for about 50 years a
I now bere intend to maintain very positively that the Castana was the real originator of the Saka era for the following reasons
(1) The Saka nationality of the Western Kaatrapas is now above doubt Therefore, it is quite obvious that the Castana was a Saka
(2) The era of 78 AD is unanimously considered as Saka era by all antiquarians
(3) The Western Ksatrapa kings were Independent and were not the vassals of the Kutnas is proved by this author
(4) Suppose if the Western Ksatrapas have the same era started by Kani ka than they must have imitated the coins of the Kusņas, which is not the case The coins of the Western Ksatrapas were wholly unlike to those of the Kunas Therefore, the era used by the descendant of Catana must be the Saka Era
(5) As stated above Nahapãos was defeated by Gautamiputra Satakarni and the latter conquered the southern territodes from the former, but these lost territories were in tura regained by Castane So it 19 but natural that to commemorate this worthy victory Castana might have started an era now known as Saka era because he was of a Saka origin
(6) To support the above arguments we are lucky enough to have our rescue the recent discovery of an Insonption This inscription was found from Andhau, a village 24 kms southwest of Khavada in Kachobha district of Gujarat State, and published by Dr (Mrs) Shobhana Gokhale a
Before the discovery of this inscription, we have had four other inscriptions from the same place, dated ŝaka 52 Thus was the only earliest known
