History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c9.s2.t1.1

c9.s2.t1.1

One of the chief items of information furnished by the Haraha inscription is a date for Īśānavarman, which we may profitably utilise here to determine the chronological setting of these Maukhari rulers. It is expressed in the following verse: “When six hundred had increased by eleven, while the illustrious Īśānavarman, who had crushed his enemies, was the lord of the earth.”² The record thus yields us the year 611; but, as according to the dictionary one of the alternative senses of the word “atirikta” is “superfluous or redundant”,³ it has been suggested that “the other possible meaning will be 589⁴.” We may, however, throw doubt on this interpretation on the ground that there is no instance known where the term is used in this sense. Unfortunately, the inscription does not specify the era, but from the use of the word *śaradām* it has rightly been pointed out that it indicates the Mālava or Vikrama era, which in the opinion of Dr. Kielhorn began in *śarad* or autumn.¹ This reference to the Vikrama era is, as affirmed by Mr. Mazumdar, “also not opposed to palæographical considerations.”² Converting, therefore, the Vikrama year 611 into the corresponding date of the Christian era, we find that Īśānavarman was ruling in the year 554 A. D.