Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates c18.28

c18.28

That the era used by the Balabhi kings was that of the Guptas seems to be almost certain, as the Senapati Bhatâraka, the founder of the Balabhi dynasty, is said to have been the governor of Surâshtra during the last two years of Skanda Gupta’s reign. If then we accept the year A.D. 319 as the date of the foundation of the Balabhi monarchy, as well as of Balabhi itself, the Gupta era must be placed at least 146 years earlier, or in A.D. 173, according to the date of Skanda Gupta’s latest inscription; or 149 years earlier, or in A.D. 170, according to the date of his latest coin. This direct succession of the Guptas by the Balabhis, already noted by Abu Rihân, is confirmed by the traditions of the people, which state that, on Skanda Gupta’s death, the Senapati “assumed the title of king of Surâshtra,” and “founded the city of Valabhinagar.”* From these statements I gather that the Valabhi era must almost certainly be dated from the foundation of the city of Valabhi, which followed immediately after the death of Skanda Gupta. For this reason, therefore, I think that the date of A.D. 166, which I have already deduced for the beginning of the Gupta era, from the copper-plate inscriptions of Raja Hastin and his son Sankshoba, compared with the week day date of Budha Gupta’s Pillar at Eran, has a better claim for acceptance than any other that has yet been proposed.