History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c15.s2.12

v1.c15.s2.12

The Pallavas in all their grants never use the Śaka era, in fact they mention no other years but their own regnal years and hence their dates are open to doubt. This absence of the Śaka era in due to their old pedigree which goes back beyond 400 A. D. when the Śaka era, as we have said before, was popularised by new astronomical Siddhāntas. In fact the Pallavas go back to the period of the Sātavāhanas who never used the Śaka era. The Pallavas are thus plainly an older people than the Chālukyas, that is to say they were settled in the Deccan much earlier than the latter.