Indian Epigraphy c15.t17: 5. Gaṅga or Gāṅgeya Era
Indian Epigraphy c15.t17
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5. Gaṅga or Gāṅgeya Era
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⁶ Ojha (*Bhāratīya Prācīn Lipimālā*, pp. 176-77) quotes certain untenable views of earlier authors on the subject of this era. The era is sometimes wrongly mentioned as the Gaṅga-Kadamba era. The Kadamba and Tumburu feudatories of the Gaṅgas introduced the name of their dynasties in the specification of the date of their records without having really anything to do with the foundation of the era. There are other instances of this kind. Some of the untenable views on the initial year of the Gaṅga era are those of G. Ramadas (349-50 A.D., *JBORS*, Vol. XVIII, p. 291), R.D. Banerji (741 A.D., *History of Orissa*, Vol. I, p. 239), B.C. Mazumdar (772 A.D., *JBORS*, Vol. II, pp. 361-62), R. Sewell (877-78 A.D., *Hist. Ins. S. ’nd*, p. 58), etc.
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The Eastern Gaṅgas of Kaliṅganagara (modern Mukhalingam near Srikakulam) used an era down to the rise of the Imperial branch of the family in the 10th century A.D. The early records of the Imperial Eastern Gaṅgas used both the Ganga and the Śaka eras. But the use of the Gaṅga era was discontinued from about the time of Vajrahasta III who ascended the throne in 1038 A.D.
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The earliest date of the era is found in the Jirjingi plates of Indravarman, dated in the year 39.¹ The record does not mention any predecessor of Indravarman and it is possible that this king's regnal reckoning was continued by his successors thus giving it the character of an era. But it is by no means certain that Indravarman of the Jirjingi plates did not himself continue the regnal reckoning of his predecessor.
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¹ *Select Inscriptions*, pp. 458 ff.
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There was formerly no clue for fixing the commencement of the Gaṅga era excepting the palaeography of Gaṅga inscriptions. The discovery of the Santa Bommali plates² (dated in the year 520 in the reign of Devendravarman, son of Anantavarman) and the Mandasa plates³ (dated Śaka 917⁴ in the reign of Anantavarman), both belonging to the Kadamba chief Dharmakheḍi, son of Bhīmakheḍi, has been of great help. As Anantavarman of both the records is apparently identical, Śaka 917=995 A.D. is some years earlier than the Gaṅga year 520. The era thus started some years later than 995—520=475 A.D., i.e. about the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century A.D. On the basis of this clue, R. Subha Rao⁵ fixed 494-95 as the initial year of the era, while J.C. Ghosh⁶ calculated certain dates of the Gaṅga records and came to the conclusion that the era started in 496 A.D. Subba Rao accepted the view.⁷ On astronomical grounds, B.V. Krishna Rao⁸ suggested that the Gaṅga era started on Amānta Bhādrapada-badi 13 in Śaka 419 (497-98 A.D.), while V.V. Mirashi⁹ concludes that it commenced on *Amānta* Caitra-sudi 1 in the expired Śaka year 420, i.e. the 14th March 498 A.D. Among other views based on the same clue mention may be made of those of M. Somasekhara Sarma¹ and R. C. Majumdar.² According to Sarma, the era started sometime between June and January in Śaka 426-27 or 504-05 A.D. Majumdar places the beginning of the era about the third quarter of the 6th century A.D.
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² *JAHRS*, Vol. III, pp. 171 ff.
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³ Ibid., Vol. V, pp. 272 ff.
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⁴ See *Select Inscriptions*, p. 458, note 1. The year is quoted as *Śakāvda-nava-śataka-saptara(da)śa-mata(mite)*. Some scholars suggest *saṭta-rasa* and take the year to be Śaka 913 or 967.
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⁵ *JAHRS*, Vol. V, pp. 272 ff.
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⁶ *Ind. Ant.*, Vol. LXI, pp. 237 ff.
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⁷ *Proc. 7th A.-I. Or. Conf.*, p. 519.
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⁸ *JAHRS*, Vol. XI, pp. 19 ff.
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⁹ *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. XXVI, pp. 326 ff.; Vol. XXVII, p. 192; Vol. XXVIII, pp. 171 ff.
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¹ *Ind. Cult.*, Vol. IX, pp. 141 ff. ² Ibid., Vol. IV, pp. 179; *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. XXXI, pp. 46 ff. ³ See *Select Inscriptions*, p. 458 note 1; *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. XXXI, pp. 53 ff. ⁴ See *IHQ*, Vol. XXVII, pp. 321 ff.; Vol. XXIX, pp. 72 ff. ⁵ Watters, *On Yuan Chwang’s Travels in India*, Vol. I, p. 343.
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We are inclined to support the view that the Gaṅga era started in the period between 496 and 498 A.D.³ It is however difficult to be sure about the exact epoch owing to the conflicting nature of the data available at present.