The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c8.s1.2

v1.c8.s1.2

It has been recently argued that the confused state of our information regarding the Vākāṭaka chronology can be solved by using our knowledge of the Chedi era as a sort of magic wand.¹ It is contended that the Chedi era of A.D. 248–9 was initiated by the Vākāṭakas to commemorate the accession of the founder of their house, Vindhyaśakti. No plausible case can be made out in support of this theory. The most convincing evidence to prove that it was the Vākāṭakas who began the Chedi era would be to show that they used it themselves in their own official records. In support of this contention it is argued that the Bhita seal of the (Vākā)ṭaka Mahārājādhirāja (Pravarasena) is dated in the year 37 of this era, that he has used it on a coin of his, which is said to have been issued in the 76th year of the Chedi era, and that his successor Rudrasena I has also used it on some of his coins, which were issued in the Chedi year 100. The arguments advanced to support the above contentions are very flimsy and do not bear any minute scrutiny. As to the Bhita seal being dated in the 37th year of the Chedi era, it may be pointed out that seals are normally not dated at all. The seal in question is, however, fragmentary; it merely refers to a king of kings (Mahārājādhirāja), without giving his proper name at all. There is thus no evidence for ascribing it to Pravarasena I. And even supposing that we do so for the sake of argument, it has to be pointed out that it does not bear the date 37; the peculiarly shaped branches of the tree on the seal were in fact mistaken for the symbols for 30 and 7.²