History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s6.33.2

v3.c34.s6.33.2

is the initial date of the Lakshmaṇasena era, as Kielhorn has proved from several inscription dates given in that era and the Śaka era; and as Abul Fazal gives the starting year of the Sena era as 1041 Śaka. Kielhorn believes that the people of Tirhut are wrong in treating the Sena era as starting from 1028 Śaka (I. A. XIX p. 7). But though this point may be taken as settled, the question who started this era and when is one on which a great divergence of opinion prevails. Smith proposed the following dates for the commencement of the reigns of the three kings, Sâmanta 1080, Hemanta 1100 and Vijaya 1119 (E. H. I. 3rd Edn. p. 419) which means that he looks upon the Lakhshmaṇasena era as founded by him commencing from Vijayasena his grand-father's reign. Gaurishanker Ojha, however, states that the era was founded by his son Ballālasena on hearing of the birth of his son Lakshmaṇa when he had just conquered the Mithila country (Prachina lipimālā p. 42-45 and Hindi Tod p. 536). Mr. D. R. Bannerji in publishing in E. I. XIV (p. 159) a new grant found of Ballālasena thinks that the era was founded to commemorate the beginning of the reign of Lakshmaṇasena. The last opinion would seem to be the natural and proper interpretation of the starting of the era, and indeed Mahomedan evidence, almost contemporaneous, states (Tabakat-i-Nasiri) that Ballālasena died leaving his queen pregnant and Lakshmaṇasena was crowned even in the womb of his mother.