Indian Epigraphy c15.s1.t11: 11. Mavlūdī Era
Indian Epigraphy c15.s1.t11
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11. Mavlūdī Era
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¹ Cf. G. H. Khare, Saṃśodhakācā Mitra, pp. 101 ff.; Ind. Ant., Vol. II, pp. 112 ff.
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This era was introduced by Tipū Sulṭān of Mysore. Tipū came to the throne on the 4th May 1783 falling in Hijrī 1117, Śaka 1703, Śobhana the 37th cyclic year. He adopted the numbers of the cyclic years, but gave them names of his own. Thus the first four years of his reign were called Zakī, Azal, Jalav and Dalav instead of Śobhana (37), Krodhin (38), Viśvāvasu (39) and Parābhava (40). These names were coined by Tipū to indicate the numbers of the cyclic years according to the Abjad system,² in which numerical value was attached to each of the Arabic letters according to their order in the old Hebrew alphabet. Tipū also invented the names of the months of the years in accordance with the same system (as No. 1, No. 2, etc.) indicated by the numerical value of the first one or two letters of the names. On the expiry of the Hijrī year 1200 on the 23rd October 1786, the Sulṭān introduced the Mavlūdī era counted in luni-solar years from the birth of Muḥammad in 572 A.D. in place of the Hijrī lunar years counted from the latter's departure from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. Thus the Śaka year 1709 (1787-88 A.D.) = Plavaṅga (41), called Shā in Tipū's nomenclature, was regarded as the luni-solar Mavlūdī year 1215.
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² Alif=1, bey=2, jim=3, dal=4, he=5, waw=6, zey=7, hey=8, toey=9, yey=10, kaf=20, lām=30, mim=40, nun=50, sin=60, ain=70, fey=80, sad=90 qaf=100, rey=200, shin=300, tey=400, sey=500, khey=600, zal=700, zad=800, zoey=900, gain=1000.
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He also changed the numerical value of the letters of the alphabet as recognised in the Abjad system and introduced the Abtas system based on the position of the same letters in the Arabic alphabet.¹ New names of the years and months had to be coined in accordance with the new system.² The names of the year according to the Abtas system are found on Tipū's coins. Among records of Tipū's time, a Marāṭhī document in Moḍī script is stated to bear the date : Cha 14, Māhe Takī Sāl Sāhar San 1221. According to the Mavlūdī reckoning and the Abtas system, the year Sāhir (year No. 47) corresponds to the cyclic year No. 47 (Pramādin)=Śaka 1715 (1793-94 A.D.) while Takī is month No. 3 (i.e. Jyaiṣṭha).³
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¹ Alif=1, bey=2, tey=3, sey=4, jim=5, hey=6, khey=7, dal=8, zal 9, rey=10, zey=20, sin= 30, shin=40, sad=50, zad=60, toey=70, zoey=80, ain=90, gain=100, fey=200, qaf=300, kaf=400, lam=500, mim=600, nun=700, waw=800, he=900, yey=1000.
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² The names of the months according to the Abjad system were Ahmadi, Bahārī, Ja'frī, Dāraī, Hāshimī, etc., while according to the Abtas system they were Ahmadi, Bahārī, Takī, Samari, Ja'frī, Haidarī, etc.
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³ Cf. Khare, cp. cit., p. 104.