Ancient History of the Deccan c3.s4.11

c3.s4.11

In short, the coinage, palæography and the style of the monuments prove, that, at the beginning of the Christian era there reigned on the shores of the Gulf of Cambay one or more princes bearing the name of Nahapâna. A Nahapâna who had Ushavadâta for his son-in-law reigned in the years 41, 42, 45 and 46 of an unknown era. There reigned in Mathurâ some princes of the same dynasty of Kshaharâtas. These princes were: Hagâna, Hagâmâsha, Râjûvula, Soḍâsa Kharahostes and Kalni, and they used a special era. If it is admitted that it is the Vikrama era (58 B. C.) we find that Soḍasâ reigned in 14 or 15 A. D. which well coincides with the information furnished by archæology (it is the opinion of the Director-general of Archæology, Mr. J. H. Marshall, see J. R. A. S. for 1914, page 986). The coins show that Nahapâna was very nearly the contemporary of Hagâna and Hagâmâsha and so it will be a little before the beginning of the Christian era. This is in perfect accord with the supposition that the inscriptions of Nahapâna are dated from the Vikrama era. However, "the question has not been settled" (Vincent A. Smith, the Oxford History of India, 1919, page 153, footnote 1).