[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883) › c53 # Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates c53: Table XXI. The Abjad Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates c53 - **Language:** English ### Table XXI. The Abjad ### [c53.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.2) A favourite mode of recording Hijra dates is by the numerical values of the letters in some short phrase, or chronogram, descriptive of the event commemorated. This system is called \*Abjad\*, from the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from which the scheme was borrowed, namely, \*a, b, j, d\*. The whole scheme is as follows:— ### [c53.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.3) | Letters. | Values. | | Letters. | Values. | | Letters. | Values. | | \*a\* | 1 | | \*i\* | 10 | | \*k\* | 100 | | \*b\* | 2 | | \*k\* | 20 | | \*r\* | 200 | | \*j\* | 3 | | \*l\* | 30 | | \*sh\* | 300 | | \*d\* | 4 | | \*m\* | 40 | | \*t\* | 400 | | \*h\* | 5 | | \*n\* | 50 | | \*s\* | 500 | | \*w.\* | 6 | | \*s\* | 60 | | \*kh\* | 600 | | \*z\* | 7 | | \*ain\* | 70 | | \*.\* | 700 | | \*h\* | 8 | | \*f\* | 80 | | \*zw\* | 800 | | \*t.\* | 9 | | \*sw\* | 90 | | \*z\* | 900 | | | | | | | | \*gh\* | 1000 | ### [c53.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.4) Occasionally the chronograms were very tersely and happily expressed, and the fortunate inventors were usually rewarded very liberally. The following are rather favourable specimens of these \*Abjad\* chronograms: ### [c53.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.5) 1.—\*Wafât Firoz\* records the "Death of Firoz" in A. H. 790. ### [c53.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.6) 2.—\*Masjid Jâmi ul Shark\* records the building of the Great Mosque at Jaunpur in A. H. 852. ### [c53.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.7) 3.—\*Az âtash murd\*, "he died by fire," records the date of the death of Sher Shah, who was killed at the siege of Kâlinjar by the bursting of a shell. ### [c53.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.8) 4.—\*Zawâl Khusroan\*, or the "Ruin of the Kings," was invented by Ghulam Ali Hindu Shah, the father of the historian Ferishta, to commemorate the deaths, in A. H. 961, of the three kings,\* ### [c53.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.9) Mahmud Shâh of Gujarât. Burhân Nizâm Shah cf Ahmednagar. Islâm Shâh, Sûr, of Delhi. ### [c53.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.10) 5.—\*Pul Muhammad Munim Khan\*, or "Bridge of Muhammad Munîm Khan," at Jaunpur, gives the date A.H. 975. ### [c53.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.11) ∗ Brigg's Ferishta, Vol. IV, 152. Islam Shah died within a few days of the end of A.H. 960. ### [c53.12](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.12) 6.—In the old town of Hilsa in Bihâr, near the tomb of the holy Saint Jaman Madâri, there is an upright stone with the date of A.H. 1013, recorded in four different ways, as follows: \* ### [c53.13](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.13) | In Arabic | ... alf wa suls ashr | = 1000 + 3 + 10 | = 1013 A.H. | | | ,, Persian | ... hazâr wa sis-dah | = 1000 + 13 | ... = 1013 | | | ,, Numerals | ... 1013 | ... | ... | ... = 1013 ,, | | ,, Abjad | ... d . w . b . a . zw . z | | | | | Values below | ... 4 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 800 + 200 | ... | ... = 1043 ,, | ### [c53.14](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.14) The values of the Abjad letters are engraved on the stone in numerals immediately below the letters. ### [c53.15](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.15) ∗ See Archæological Survey of India, Vol. XI, 164. ### [c53.16](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.16) TABLE XXI. ### [c53.18](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.18) A favourite mode of recording Hijra dates is by the numerical values of the letters in some short phrase, or chronogram, descriptive of the event commemorated. This system is called \*Abjad\*, from the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from which the scheme was borrowed, namely, \*a, b, j, d\*. The whole scheme is as follows:— ### [c53.19](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.19) | Letters. | Values. | Letters. | Values. | Letters. | Values. | | \*a\* | 1 | \*i\* | 10 | \*k\* | 100 | | \*b\* | 2 | \*k\* | 20 | \*r\* | 200 | | \*j\* | 3 | \*l\* | 30 | \*sh\* | 300 | | \*d\* | 4 | \*m\* | 40 | \*t\* | 400 | | \*h\* | 5 | \*n\* | 50 | \*th\* | 500 | | \*w. w.\* | 6 | \*s\* | 60 | \*kh\* | 600 | | \*z\* | 7 | \*ain\* | 70 | \*z\* | 700 | | \*h\* | 8 | \*f\* | 80 | \*zw\* | 800 | | \*t\* | 9 | \*sw\* | 90 | \*z\* | 900 | | | | | | \*gh\* | 1000 | ### [c53.20](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.20) Occasionally the chronograms were very tersely and happily expressed, and the fortunate inventors were usually rewarded very liberally. The following are rather favourable specimens of these \*Abjad\* chronograms: ### [c53.21](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.21) 1.—\*Wafât Firoz\* records the "Death of Firoz" in A. H. 790. ### [c53.22](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.22) 2.—\*Masjid Jâmi ul Shark\* records the building of the Great Mosque at Jaunpur in A. H. 852. ### [c53.23](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.23) 3.—\*Az âtash murd\*, "he died by fire," records the date of the death of Sher Shah, who was killed at the siege of Kâlinjar by the bursting of a shell. ### [c53.24](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.24) 4.—\*Zawâl Khusroan\*, or the "Ruin of the Kings," was invented by Ghulam Ali Hindu Shah, the father of the historian Ferishta, to commemorate the deaths, in A. H. 961, of the three kings,\* ### [c53.25](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.25) Mahmud Shâh of Gujarât. Burhân Nizâm Shah of Ahmednagar. Islâm Shâh, Sûr, of Delhi. ### [c53.26](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.26) 5.—\*Pul Muhammad Munim Khan\*, or "Bridge of Muhammad Munîm Khan," at Jaunpur, gives the date A.H. 975. ### [c53.27](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.27) ∗ Brigg's Ferishta, Vol. IV, 152. Islam Shah died within a few days of the end of A.H. 960. ### [c53.28](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.28) 6.—In the old town of Hilsa in Bihâr, near the tomb of the holy Saint Jaman Madâri, there is an upright stone with the date of A.H. 1013, recorded in four different ways, as follows: \* ### [c53.29](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.29) | In Arabic | ... alf wa suls ashr = 1000 + 3 + 10 | = 1013 A.H. | | | | ,, Persian | ... hazâr wa sis-dah = 1000 + 13 | ... = 1013 | | | | ,, Numerals | ... 1013 | ... | ... | = 1013 ,, | | ,, Abjad | ... d . w . b . a . zw . z | | | | | Values below | ... 4 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 800 + 200 | ... = 1043 | | ,, | ### [c53.30](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.30) The values of the Abjad letters are engraved on the stone in numerals immediately below the letters. ### [c53.31](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53.31) ∗ See Archæological Survey of India, Vol. XI, 164. ## Linked texts (2) - [Hilsa](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.hilsa) - [Kalinjar](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.kalinjar) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.cunningham-1883.c53) · Pramāṇa