History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c23.2

v1.c23.2

The problem of the history and chronology of the early Gaṅgas of Kaliṅga and the era used by them is still far from being solved, and unless a record is discovered in which the Gaṅga era is used simultaneously with another, the value of which is correctly known to us, it will not be possible to override the difficulties which still beset our path. In short, the solution of the problem depends on the discovery of the initial year of this era, in which the majority of the inscriptions of the kings of this dynasty of Kaliṅga are dated. These dates vary from the year 51 on the Chikakol plates of Devendravarman, son of Anantavarman, to the year 351 on the Chikakol plates of Satyavarman, son of Devendravarman. As in the majority of cases the inscriptions are specially dated in the era of the Gaṅgas, *Gaṅgakula-pravarddhamāna-vijaya-rājya-samvatsare*, the solution of the problems of Gaṅga history and chronology appears to be distant; and therefore, the best way of tackling them is to take the dates in the order in which they present themselves to us.