The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c10.81

c10.81

¹ The *Mudrā-Rākshasa* play gives a very interesting and detailed account of the revolution. Scholars used to believe that the play dated from the seventh century (Rapson, *J.R.A.S.*, 1900, p. 535). Jacobi, observing that some MSS. substitute the name of Avantivarman for that of Chandragupta, held that it was performed before Avantivarman of Kashmīr on Dec. 2, 860 (*Vienna Or. J.*, vol. ii (1888), p. 212). But Hillebrandt, Speyer, and Tawney affirm it to be much older, and certainly anterior to the earliest recension of the *Panchatantra* and to Bhartrihari who died in A. D. 651. It is suggested that the play may have been composed in the time of Chandragupta II, about A. D. 400. I agree with Prof. Hillebrandt that the author 'scheint auf sehr genauen Nachrichten zu fussen und sehr weit an die ursprüngliche Tradition des Hofes heranzureichen;' that is to say, that the plot is based on accurate information and ancient court tradition (reprint from *86. Jahresber. d. Schlesischen Gesellsch. für vaterl. Cultur*, July, 1908, p. 29). Prof. Tawney's remarks are in *J.R.A.S.*, 1908, p. 910. Konow is inclined to agree with Speyer and assigns the play to the fourth century (*Ind. Ant.*, 1914, p. 68). See also 'The Date of the Mudra-Rakshasa', *Ind. Ant.*, Oct. 1913, pp. 265-7.