The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c5.2

c5.2

(ii) I have chosen to use the A. D. reckoning of years in preference to that of Śaka years or those of the Kaliyuga or other systems for two reasons. One reason concerns brevity and economy of space, and saving of expense in printing. It is preferable to record a date as ‘3 Jan : A.D. 1552’ rather than to state it as it stands in the original, viz., ‘Śaka 1473 expired, Virōdhakrit, Pushya Śukla 7.’ The second reason concerns the common habit in India of using the current as well as the expired year of the era. An inscription bearing date merely ‘Śaka 1525’ may refer to the current year which by solar reckoning, began on March 28 A.D. 1602, or to the expired year which ended on March 27 A.D. 1604; or to the current year which by luni-solar reckoning, began on March 14 A.D. 1602 or to the expired year which ended on March 19 A.D. 1604—in the latter case the description covering a period or more than two years.