Indian Epigraphy c15.t13: 1. Parthian or Arsacid Era

Indian Epigraphy c15.t13

Language: English

1. Parthian or Arsacid Era

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¹ See Ojha, *Bhāratīya Prācīn Lāpimālā*, p. 165; cf. Smith, *Classical Dictionary*, s.v. *Seleucus* and *Arsaces*; see also Lemprieres' *Classical Dictanary*. The date is sometimes put as c. 250 B.C. and also as 247 B.C. (*East and West*, Vol. 9, No. 3, September 1958, p. 155).

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The Asiatic possessions of Alexander the Great ultimately passed after his death to his general Seleucus Nicator whose era started from the date of his triumphant entry into Babylon on the 1st of October, 312 B.C. No Indian record is definitely known to be dated in this era. But the Macedonian names of the months were adopted along with the use of the era in the Greek empire of Western Asia, whence their use in dates spread to India.

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The Parthian era, indicating the foundation of the independent Parthian kingdom by Arsaces I about 248 B.C. and meant for the supercession of the Seleucid era from the Parthian dominions, is found in a few Indian inscriptions.² These are the Mathura inscription³ of the year 292, Girdharpur inscription⁴ of the year 270, Charsadda inscription⁵ of the year 303, Loriyan Tongai inscription⁶ of the year 318, Jamal-garhi inscription⁷ of the year 359, Hashtnagar inscription⁸ of the year 384 and Skarah Dheri inscription⁹ of the year 399. Some epigraphs of the Scytho-Parthians and Kuṣāṇas of India, which are dated in the Vonones (old Scytho-Parthian or Vikrama) and Kaniṣka (Śaka) eras of 58 B.C. and 78

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² See *D. R. Bhandarkar Volume*, p. 306. The dates are often wrongly assigned to the old Scytho-Parthian era.

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³ Ibid., p. 281.

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⁴ Ibid., p. 286.

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⁵ Ibid., p. 306.

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⁶ *CII*, Vol. II, Part i, pp. 106-07.

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⁷ Ibid., pp. 110 ff.

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⁸ Ibid., pp. 117 ff.

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⁹ Ibid., pp. 124 ff.

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A.D. respectively, use the names of Macedonian months adopted by the Parthians. The 12 months of this calendar are : (1) Hyperberetaeus (=October=Āśvina-Kārttika); (2) Dius (=November=Kārttika-Mārgaśīrṣa); (3) Apellaeus (=December=Mārgaśīrṣa-Pauṣa); (4) Audunaeus (=January= =Pauṣa-Māgha); (5) Peritius (= February=Māgha-Phālguna); (6) Dustrus (=March=Phālguna-Caitra); (7) Xanthicus (=April=Caitra-Vaiśākha); (8) Artemisius (= May=Vaiśākha-Jyaiṣṭha); (9) Daesius (=June=Jyaiṣṭha-Āṣāḍha); (10) Panemus (=July=Āṣāḍha-Śrāvaṇa); (11) Lous (=August=Śrāvaṇa=Bhādra); (12) Gorpaeus (= September=Bhādra-Āśvina). Of these months of the Graeco-Parthian calendar, Audunaeus, Apellaeus, Artemisius, Daesius, Panemus and Gorpaeus are mentioned in the dates of certain inscriptions of the Scytho-Parthians and Kuṣāṇas.¹

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¹ See Cunningham, *Indian Eras*, p. 41; *Select Inscriptions*, p. 120 (Taxila inscription of year 78 of the older Scytho-Parthian era, Panema= Panemus); p. 135 (Sui Vihar inscription of year 11 of the Kaniṣka era, Daisika=Daesius); p. 143 (Kurram inscription of year 21 of the Kaniṣka era, Avadunaka=Audunaeus); p. 146 (Mathura inscription of year 28 of the Kaniṣka era, Gurpiya=Gorpaeus); p. 153 (Wardak or Khawat inscription of year 51 of the Kaniṣka era, Arthamisiya=Artemisius); etc.

Linked texts (1)

Mathurā inscription (No. 60) — Prakrit