History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.668

v6.c82.668

Several other eras such as the Vardhamāna and Buddha-nirvāṇa eras, Gupta, Cedi, Harṣa, Lakṣamaṇa-sena (in Bengal), Kollam or Paraśurāma era (prevelent in Malabar), most of which were once in great vogue (at least in civil life) but are now practically unused, are passed over here, as of only academic interest in these days. For Vardhamāna nirvāṇa era, vide I. A. vol. 25 p. 346 where the year 2493 after the nirvāna of Vardhamāna is said to be equal to Vikrama year 1888 and śaka year 1752 (1830 A. D.) and Buddha-nirvāṇa era in JRAS for 1875 at p 358 (a Ceylonese Inscription of Sāhasa-malla's time about 1191 A. D.), where mention is made that the king was crowned 1743 years, three months and 27 days after the nirvāṇa of Buddha. Great controversies have raged over the Gupta era (which Fleet holds began in 319 A. D ). There are some who hold that it is really the Vikrama era (J. I. H. vol. 17 p. 293 ff and J. I. H. special number of March and April 1941 pp 71-84). For Harṣa era, vide E. I. 19 p. 52 and Nos. 1385-1421 in Bhandarkar's list in vol. 20 Appendix of E. I. From Alberuni (Sachau vol. II, p. 5) it appears that Harṣa era started in 606 A.D. There has been some connflict of views on this; vide IHQ vol. 27 pp. 321 ff, vol. 28 p. 280 ff (by R. C. Majumdar) and vol. 29 pp. 72-79 (Dr D. C Sircar). The Kollam era is said to have started in 1176 B. C.