Indian Epigraphy c14.s4.7

c14.s4.7

The use of the Śaka era became popular in Indonesian epigraphy, its earliest use being noticed in inscriptions of the 8th century. It was probably introduced by the merchants of the Western part of the Deccan. The earliest record of Java dated in the Śaka era is the Kelurak inscription¹ of Śaka 700 (778 A.D.). The Minto stone inscription² of Śaka 876 (954 A.D.) is in the Kavi language but has two Sanskrit stanzas at the beginning. The Pereng stone inscription (Śaka 785-863 A.D.), written in the Kavi language, contains five Sanskrit stanzas in the Āryā metre.¹ Similar is the case with the Singasari inscription (915 A.D.) of king Daṣka written in both Sanskrit and Kavi.²