Indian Epigraphy c15.t22: 10. Puḍuvaippu Era

Indian Epigraphy c15.t22

Language: English

10. Puḍuvaippu Era

c15.t22.1

³ Trav. Arch. Ser., Vol. I, pp. 31 ff.; Ojha, Bhāratīya Prācīn Lipimālā, p. 186.

An island called Bīpīn, 13 miles in length and 1 mile in breadth, emerged out of the sea to the north of Cochin in the year 1341 A.D. To commemorate this event, an era called Puḍuvaippu (from Malayāḷam puḍu, ‘new’, and vṛpa, ‘habitation’) came into use in the Cochin area, although it is no longer heard of. The treaty between the State of Cochin and the Dutch East India Company, written on five copper plates, contains the date : Mīna 14 of the Puḍuvaippu year 322, which corresponds to the 22nd March 1663 A.D.⁴ In the Malayāḷam-speaking area, there was a popular tendency in medieval times to start the counting of an era from the dates of such minor events as the construction of a temple or the consecration of a deity.⁵ 11. Cochbihar (*Kocavihāra*) Era

c15.t22.3

⁴ Trav. Arch. Ser., Vol. I, p. 29.

c15.t22.4

⁵ Ibid., Vol. VI, pp. 190, 193.

c15.t22.5

This era is supposed to have started from the foundation of the Coch kingdom by Candana in 1510 A.D. Its first year is given as corresponding to year 914 of the Bengali era. It was used in Cochbihar and the neighbouring areas of Bhutan, Assam, Cachar and Manipur. Its use is noticed in some of the Cochbihar records,¹ many of which are dated in the Śaka and Bengali eras.

c15.t22.6

¹ See S.N. Sen, *Prācīn Bāngālā Patra Saṅkalan*, Intro., p. 2, and p. 1, etc.

c15.t22.7

12. *Ilāhī* Era²

c15.t22.8

² *Ain-i-Akbari*, translated by H.S. Jarrett, ed. J. N. Sarkar, Vol. II, pp. 29-30; op. cit., Vol. I, translated by H. Blochmann, ed. D.C. Phillott, pp. 204-05; Ojha, *Bhāratīya Prācīn Lipimālā*, pp. 193-94.

c15.t22.9

After the introduction of Dīn-i-Ilāhī, the Mughal emperor Akbar started the Ilāhī era in order to oust the use of the Hijrī associated with Islām. It was actually introduced in the 29th year of Akbar's reign corresponding to Hijrī 992 and 1584 A.D., though its beginning was counted from the year of Akbar's accession. The emperor ascended the throne on the 14th February 1556 A.D. (the 2nd of Rabiuṣ Ṣānī, Hijrī 963). But the beginning of the Ilāhī era was counted from 25 days later, viz., from the 28th Rabiuṣ Ṣānī of that year, corresponding to the 11th March 1556 A.D., which was the first day of the Iranian new year. In order to get the Christian equivalents of the Ilāhī years, one has to add 1555-56 to the years of that era. The years of the Ilāhī era are solar and the names of months and days were adopted from the ancient Iranian calendar. The days of the month are specifically mentioned in the dates by their names and not by their numbers.

c15.t22.10

The twelve months of the Ilāhī era are : (1) Farwardīn, (2) Ardibahisht, (3) Khurdād, (4) Tīr, (5) Amrdād, (6) Shahrewar, (7) Mihr, (8) Abān, (9) Āzar, (10) Dī (11) Bahman and (12) Isfandārmaz. The following are the names of 32 days : (1) Ahurmazd, (2) Bahman, (3) Ardibahisht, (4) Shahrewar, (5) Sfandarmad, (6) Khurdād, (7) Muredād (Amrdād), (8) Depadār, (9) Āzar, (10) Abān, (11) Khurshed, (12) Mah, (13) Tir, (14) Gush, (15) Depmihr, (16) Mihr, (17) Sarosh, (18) Rashnah, (19) Farwardīn, (20) Bahram, (21) Ram, (22) Govad, (23) Depdīn (24) Dīn, (25) Ard (Asisvamg), (26) Astad, (27) Asman, (28) Zamiad, (29) Mihrispand, (30) Aniram, (31) Roz, and (32) Shab. Of these days, Nos. 1-30 were taken from the ancient Iranian calendar and Nos. 31-32 were newly added.

c15.t22.11

The Iranian year of 365 days was solar, in which eleven months had 30 days each while the twelfth had extra days. One month called Kavisa was added in 120 years. But the solar months of the Ilāhī era had between 29 and 32 days.

c15.t22.12

This era was in use during the reigns of Akbar and Jahāngīr. Shāh Jahān reintroduced the use of the Hijrī in its place.