Indian Epigraphy c15.s1.t10: 10. Bhāṭika Era

Indian Epigraphy c15.s1.t10

Language: English

10. Bhāṭika Era

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¹ See Ojha, Bhāratīya Prācīn Lipimālā, p. 178; Ep. Ind., Vol. XXX, pp. 2 ff., pp. 5 ff.; IHQ, Vol. XXXV, pp. 65 ff. 227 ff.

The use of the Bhāṭika era is known from some medieval epigraphs of the Jaisalmer region. It is said that Bhaṭṭi or Bhaṭṭika was an ancestor of the rulers of Jaisalmer, who were therefore called Bhāṭī, and that this Bhaṭṭi or Bhaṭṭika must have founded the Bhāṭika or Bhaṭṭika era. The fact, however, that no date of the earlier centuries of the era is known renders the suggestion extremely doubtful. It seems that the era was really not of local origin and that it was called Bhāṭika owing to its adoption by the Bhāṭī rulers of Jaisalmer.

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The Jaisalmer Viṣṇu temple inscription² equates Vikrama 1494 (expired), Māgha-sudi 6, Friday, Aśvinī-nakṣatra with the Bhāṭika year 813 (current), while an inscription³ near the Mahādeva temple at the same place quotes the current Bhāṭika year 993 (Uttarāyaṇa in Mārgaśīrṣa) with Vikrama 1673 (expired) and Śaka 1538. The first date corresponds to the 31st January 1438 A.D. and the second to the 28th December 1616 A.D. According to the first, the epoch of the era falls in 624-25 A.D. and, according to the second, in 623-24 A. D. There is a clear discrepancy of one year since the inscriptions specifically mention both the Bhāṭika years as current and it cannot be suggested that one of them was expired and another current.

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² Bhandarkar's List, No. 775; Ojha, loc. cit. Ojha speaks of the shrine as the Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa temple. The Bhāṭika year has been read as 812 and 813; but the same date with the year read as Bhāṭika-saṃvat 813 is found in other two inscriptions in the Jaisalmer fort (see below).

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³ Bhandarkar's List, No. 962.

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It is very probable that the Bhāṭika era was an Indian solarised modification of the Hijrī which started in 622 A.D. and was in popular use in the Sind region to the west of Jaisalmer since the Arab conquest of that area in the eighth century A.D. The calculation seems to have been based on the fact that Vikrama 679-80=622-23 A.D. was the first year of the Hijrī and Bhāṭika eras, the year of the Hijrī being lunar and that of the Bhāṭika solar. The discrepancy of a year or two between this epoch and the epochs suggested by the dates in the inscriptions discussed above may be due to confusion.¹

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¹ Cf. ABORI, Vol. XXVII, p. 35; Ind. Ant., Vol. XXV, p. 265; Ep. Ind., Vol. XXX, p. 3. Note the difference between the Gupta and Valabhī eras as also among the various modifications of the Hijrī. Cf. the Mavlūdī era.

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The following inscriptions² containing dates in the Bhāṭika era have recently come to light :

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² See Annual Report of the Rajputana Museum for the year ending 31st March 1936; ARASI, 1935-36, p. 111; IHQ, Vol. XXXV, pp. 65 ff., see also pp. 227ff.

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(1) an inscription of Lodhrava dated Bhāṭika-saṁvat 534, Kārttika-badi 2, Monday (7th October 1157 A. D. );

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(2) an inscription on a Govardhana about 10 miles from Jaisalmer—Bhāṭika-saṁvat 539, Bhādrapada-sudi 10, Sunday (11th August 1163 A.D.);

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(3) three inscriptions on memorial pillars near Gogākī-talāī, about 5 miles from Jaisalmer—Bhāṭika-saṁvat 685, Āṣāḍha-badi 3, Thursday (26th June 1309 A.D.);

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(4) three inscriptions on memorial tablets at the foot of the Jaisalmer fort—Vikrama 1418=Bhāṭika-saṁvat 738, Mārgaśīrṣa-badi 11, Wednesday (24th November 1361 A.D.);

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(5) an inscription on a pillar near a well in the Jailsalmer fort—Vikrama 1494=Bhāṭika-saṁvat 813, Māgha-sudi 6, Friday (31st January 1438 A.D.);

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(6) an inscription on a slab built into the Lakshmīkānta temple in Jaisalmer fort—Vikrama 1494=Bhāṭika 813, Māgha-sudi 6, Friday (31st January 1438 A.D.);

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(7) an inscription engraved on a slab built into the wall of Vyāsonkī-baiṭhak in the Jaisalmer fort—Vikrama 1494=Bhāṭika-saṁvat 813, Māgha-sudi 10, Wednesday (iregular for the 5th February 1438 A.D.); and

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(8) an inscription on a pillar near Īsarlālji’s tank about a mile from Jaisalmer—Vikrama 1673=Śaka 1538=Bhāṭikasamvat 993, Māgha-sudi 5, Friday (31st January 1617 A.D.).

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These inscriptions also suggest that the epoch of the Bhāṭika era was either 624-25 A.D. or 623-24 A.D. The era was prevalent in the Jaisalmer area between the 12th and the 17th century. The Bhāṭika modification of the Hijrī seems to have become prevalent about the 12th century A.D. There is no reason to believe that it was in use from the first quarter of the 7th century A.D.

Cites (1)

Mahādēva Temple Inscription — Sanskrit