History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c9.5

c9.5

The *Lokavibhāga* Datum.—The next important work which introduces some certainty in the early Pallava chronology is the Digambara Jain work known as *Lokavibhāga* which is dated in Śaka 380, i.e. A.D. 458.² This date, we understand from the work, corresponds to the twenty-second year of Simhavarman, the king of Kāñchi. Dr. Fleet, who was generally suspicious of early Śaka dates, examined this date carefully, and making a few corrections, arrived at the conclusion that it was equivalent to A.D. 458. As this year corresponded to the twenty-second year of Simhavarman the initial year of his reign may be calculated back as the year A.D. 436. This datum, which was first brought to the notice of scholars by Mr. R. Narasimhacharyar of the Mysore Archæological Department, helps us to fix the period of two of the Pallava kings Simhavarman and his son Skandavarman in the second and third quarters of the fifth century. Prof. Jouveau-Dubreuil however underrates the value of this testimony¹ and regards it as rather suspicious especially as it does not say which Simhavarman it was and to what branch of the Pallava family he belonged.