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• KANAKASABHAI PILLAI'S VIEWS. 121
Vishnu, Matsya and Bhagavata Puranas state that the Mauryas ruled the Magadha Empire for 137 years, and after them the Sungas 112 years, and after them the Kanvayanaş, 45 years: and that after them there were 30 kings of the Andhra dynasty who reigned 456 years ; but none of the Puranas gives a complete list of the names of the Andhra kings. The Matsya, which appears to be the oldest of the Puranas, furnishes the fullest list, which contains the names of only 29 kings and the number of vears during which each of the kings reigned. In the early history of the emperors of Magadha, the only date which may be safely reljed upon is that of Chandragupta, the contemporary of Seleucus Nicator, who began his reign in B.C. 310, and concluded a treaty with him in B.C. 305. The year of accession of Chandragupta may be fixed at B.C. 312, two years earlier than that of Seleucus Nicator, and, calculating from that year, the reign of the first Satakarnin ought to have extended from A.D. 77 to A.D. 133, according to the Matsya Purana, as shown below:
Ten Mauryas for 137 years, B.C. 312–175. Ten Sungas for 112 years, B.C. 175—63. Four Kanvayanas for 45 years, B.C. 63 to 18. Thirty Andhras of whom the first six areSisuka for 23 years, B.C. 18—A.D. 5. Krishna for 18 years, A.D. 5—23. Simalakarnin for 18 years, A.D. 23-41. Purnotsunga for 18 years, A.D. 41-59. Sirivaswami for 18 years, A.D. 59–77. Satakarnin for 56 years, A.D. 77–133.
