DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9541#0748
724
APPENDIX.
Dynasty.
coins and
Dates on Iksckiptioks.
Sri or Raja Gupta.....
Maharaja Ghatotkacha
M. K. adhiraja Chandra Gupta I.
,, Samudra „
. ,, Chandra Gupta II.
,, Kumara ,,
,, Skanda ,
Mahendra a min or
.Maharaja Sri Hastina .
Raja Buddha.....
M. R. adhiraja Toramana
130,137
82, 93 + 319 -
124+ ,
141,146+ ,
163 +
165+ .
182 +
401, 412. Oaves 16 to
20 Ajunta. Build-
ings at Erun.
443
449, 456, 460, 465
482
484
501
The three last named can hardly be considered as belonging to the
great dynasty, though they date from the same era, and the two first
were comparatively insignificant characters. It was only Chandra
Gupta I., A.D. 401, who assumed the title of Maharaja adhiraja,
and founded the greatness of his race on the ruins of that of the
Andrabrityas.
In addition to the above chronology, compiled from coins and dated
inscriptions, Major Watson has recently supplied a most important
item to their history from written records existing in Gujerat.
From this we learn that Chandra Gupta II. reigned twenty-three
years after the conquest of Saurastra by his son; that Kumara Pal
Gupta reigned twenty years; and that Skanda Gupta succeeded him,
but lost Saurastra by the rebellion of his Senapati Bhatarka, the
founder of the Ballabhi family. Two years after this event Skanda
among them place the Guptas consider-
ably earlier. My conviction, however, is
tliat they never would have done so, had
it not been that they place a mistaken
confidence on a passage in a foreign
author of the 11th century, translated liy
Remusat to the following effect: "Quant
au Goupta Kala (ere des Gouptas), on
enteud par le mot Goupta des gens qui,
dit-on, etaient mediants et puissants, et
l'ere ijui porte leur noni est l'epoipue de
leur extermination. Apparemment Bal-
laliha suivit inimc'diatcnient lesGonptaS,
ear l'ere des Gouptas commence aussi Fan
241 de l'ere de Saca." ('Journal Asia-
tiijue,' 4me serie, torn. iv. p. 286.)
Albiruni, from whom this passage is
taken, lived at the court of Mahmiid of
Ghazni, in the 11th century, and was
learned beyond his compeers in the
learning of the Hindus. He collected
facts and dates with industry, and re-
corded them faithfully. But he would
have been a magician if he could have
unravelled the tangled mesheswith which
the Hindus had purposelyobscured their
chronology, and could have seen through
all the falsifications invented six centu-
ries earlier. We could not do so now
without the aid of coins, dated inscrip-
tions, and buildings. None of these were
available in his day, and without their
aid, the wonder is, not that he blundered
in his inductions, but that he went so
near the truth as he did. His facts and
figures are valuable, and may generally
be relied upon. His mode of putting
them together and his inductions are, as
generally, worthless—not from any fault
of his, but because they had been pur-
posely falsified by those who presented
them to him.
APPENDIX.
Dynasty.
coins and
Dates on Iksckiptioks.
Sri or Raja Gupta.....
Maharaja Ghatotkacha
M. K. adhiraja Chandra Gupta I.
,, Samudra „
. ,, Chandra Gupta II.
,, Kumara ,,
,, Skanda ,
Mahendra a min or
.Maharaja Sri Hastina .
Raja Buddha.....
M. R. adhiraja Toramana
130,137
82, 93 + 319 -
124+ ,
141,146+ ,
163 +
165+ .
182 +
401, 412. Oaves 16 to
20 Ajunta. Build-
ings at Erun.
443
449, 456, 460, 465
482
484
501
The three last named can hardly be considered as belonging to the
great dynasty, though they date from the same era, and the two first
were comparatively insignificant characters. It was only Chandra
Gupta I., A.D. 401, who assumed the title of Maharaja adhiraja,
and founded the greatness of his race on the ruins of that of the
Andrabrityas.
In addition to the above chronology, compiled from coins and dated
inscriptions, Major Watson has recently supplied a most important
item to their history from written records existing in Gujerat.
From this we learn that Chandra Gupta II. reigned twenty-three
years after the conquest of Saurastra by his son; that Kumara Pal
Gupta reigned twenty years; and that Skanda Gupta succeeded him,
but lost Saurastra by the rebellion of his Senapati Bhatarka, the
founder of the Ballabhi family. Two years after this event Skanda
among them place the Guptas consider-
ably earlier. My conviction, however, is
tliat they never would have done so, had
it not been that they place a mistaken
confidence on a passage in a foreign
author of the 11th century, translated liy
Remusat to the following effect: "Quant
au Goupta Kala (ere des Gouptas), on
enteud par le mot Goupta des gens qui,
dit-on, etaient mediants et puissants, et
l'ere ijui porte leur noni est l'epoipue de
leur extermination. Apparemment Bal-
laliha suivit inimc'diatcnient lesGonptaS,
ear l'ere des Gouptas commence aussi Fan
241 de l'ere de Saca." ('Journal Asia-
tiijue,' 4me serie, torn. iv. p. 286.)
Albiruni, from whom this passage is
taken, lived at the court of Mahmiid of
Ghazni, in the 11th century, and was
learned beyond his compeers in the
learning of the Hindus. He collected
facts and dates with industry, and re-
corded them faithfully. But he would
have been a magician if he could have
unravelled the tangled mesheswith which
the Hindus had purposelyobscured their
chronology, and could have seen through
all the falsifications invented six centu-
ries earlier. We could not do so now
without the aid of coins, dated inscrip-
tions, and buildings. None of these were
available in his day, and without their
aid, the wonder is, not that he blundered
in his inductions, but that he went so
near the truth as he did. His facts and
figures are valuable, and may generally
be relied upon. His mode of putting
them together and his inductions are, as
generally, worthless—not from any fault
of his, but because they had been pur-
posely falsified by those who presented
them to him.