Page:Sewell Dikshit The Indian Calendar (1896) proc.djvu/59

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THE HINDU CALENDAR.
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that the 1st day of the 1st current Chedi year corresponds to Âśvina śukla pratipadâ of Chaitrâdi Vikrama 306 current, (Śaka 171 current, 5th Sept., A. D. 248); that consequently its years are Âśvinâdi; that they are used as current years; that its months are pûrṇimânta; and that its epoch, i.e., the beginning of Chedi year 0 current, is A. D. 247—48.

The era was used by the Kalachuri kings of Western and Central India, and it appears to have been in use in that part of India in still earlier times.

The Gupta era.—This era is also not now in use. Dr. Fleet has treated it at great length in the introduction to the Corpus. Inscrip. Ind. (Vol. III, "Gupta Inscriptions"), and again in the Indian Antiquary (Vol. XX., pp. 376 ff.) His examination of dates in that era from 163 to 386 leads him to conclude that its years are current and Chaitrâdi; that the months are pûrṇimânta; and that the epoch, i.e., the beginning of Gupta Samvat 0 current, is Śaka 242 current (A. D. 319—20). The era was in use in Central India and Nepal, and was used by the Gupta kings.

The Valabhi era.—This is merely a continuation of the Gupta era with its name changed into "Valabhi." It was in use in Kâṭhiâvâḍ and the neighbourhood, and it seems to have been introduced there in about the fourth Gupta century. The beginning of the year was thrown back from Chaitra śukla ist to the previous Kârttika śukla 1st, and therefore its epoch went back five months, and is synchronous with the current Kârttikâdi Vikrama year 376 (A. D. 318—19, Śaka 241—42 current). Its months seem to be both amânta and pûrṇimânta.

The inscriptions as yet discovered which are dated in the Gupta and Valabhi era range from the years 82 to 945 of that era.

The Bengali San.—An era named the "Bengali San" (sometimes written in English "Sen") is in use in Bengal. It is a solar year and runs with the solar Śaka year, beginning at the Mesha saṅkrânti; but the months receive lunar month names, and the first, which corresponds with the Tamil Chaitra, or with Mesha according to the general reckoning, is here called Vaiśâkha, and so on throughout the year, their Chaitra corresponding with the Tamil Phâlguna, or with the Mîna of our Tables. We treat the years as current ones. Bengali San 1300 current corresponds with Śaka 1816 current (A. D. 1893—94.) Its epoch was Śaka 516 current, A. D. 593—94. To convert a Bengali San date into a Śaka date for purposes of our Tables, add 516 to the former year, which gives the current Śaka solar year, and adopt the comparison of months given in Table II., Part, ii., cols. 8, 9.

The Vilâyatî year.—This is another solar year in use in parts of Bengal, and chiefly in Orissa; it takes lunar-month names, and its epoch is nearly the same as that of the "Bengali San", viz., Śaka 515—16 current, A.D. 592—93, But it differs in two respects. First, it begins the year with the solar month Kanyâ which corresponds to Bengal solar Âśvina or Âssin. Secondly, the months begin on the day of the saṅkrânti instead of on the following (2nd) or 3rd day (see Art. 28, the Orissa Rule).

The Amli Era of Orissa—This era is thus described in Giriśa Chandra's "Chronological Tables" (preface, p. xvi.): "The Amli commences from the birth of Indradyumna, Râjâ of Orissa, on Bhâdrapada śukla 12th, and each month commences from the moment when the sun enters a new sign. The Amli San is used in business transactions and in the courts of law in Orissa."[1]

  1. The Vilâyatî era, as given in some Bengal Government annual chronological Tables, and in a Bengali pañchâṅg printed in Calcutta that I have seen, is made identical with this Amli era in almost every respect, except that its months are made to commence civilly in accordance with the second variety of the midnight rule (Art. 28). But facts seem to be that the Vilâyatî year commences, not on lunar Bhâdrapada śukla 12th, but with the Kanyâ saṅkrânti, while the Amli year does begin on lunar Bhâdrapada śukla 12th. It may be remarked that Warren writes—in A.D. 1825—(Kálasaṅkalita, Tables p. IX.) that the "Vilaity year is reckoned from the 1st of the krishna paksha in Chaitra", and that its numerical designation is the same with the Bengali San. [S. B. D.]