THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; APPENDIX IV. 177

APPENDIX IV.

The Chronology of the Early Rulers of Nêpâl.

The inscriptions which give the matter for this Appendix all belong to Khâṭmâṇḍu
and its vicinity, and consist of fifteen collected by the late Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji,
and published by him and Dr. Bühler in the Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 163 ff.; and of four
obtained by Mr. Bendall, of which the most important one was published originally in
the Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 97 f., and has been reprinted in his Journey in Nêpâl and
Northern India, p. 72 ff. and Plate viii., with the first publication of the other three,
p. 74 ff. and Plates ix. x. and xi.
The historical results of the former set were discussed at length by Dr. Bhag-
wanlal Indraji in his paper entitled "Some Considerations on the History of Nêpâl," edited
by Dr. Bühler, and published in the Ind. Ant. Vol. XIII. p. 411 ff. His results, how-
ever, are unfortunately vitiated by a radical error; viz. the reference of one series of the
dates to the Vikrama era, instead of to the Gupta era nearly four hundred years later.
This was due, partly to the misinterpretation of an important verse in the inscription of
Jayadêva II. of Harsha-Saṁvat 153; and partly to the want of the key-note supplied by
Mr. Bendall's inscription of Gupta-Saṁvat 316. And it was, of course, the publication of
this last inscription that led me to look carefully into the whole matter, and at length to hit
upon the fundamental mistake, without a recognition of which it might still be argued that
Mr. Bendall's date of 316, for Śivadêva I. and Aṁśuvarman, stands alone in belonging to
the Gupta era, and that, in spite of it, Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji was right in referring the
other larger dates to the Vikrama era.
Taking the inscriptions in question in regular chronological order, the dates and
other important points are as follows :—
A.—Mr. Bendall's inscription No. 1; Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 97 f., and Journey in
Nêpâl, p. 72 ff. and Plate viii.—The charter recorded is issued from the house or palace
called Mânagṛiha (line 1). The inscription is one of the Bhaṭṭâraka and Mahârâja, the
illustrious¹ Śivadêva I. (l. 2 f.), the banner or glory of the Lichchhavikula.² And it
records a grant made by him on the advice, or at the request,³ of the Mahâsâmanta
Aṁśuvarman (l. 6 f.). The Dûtaka is the Svâmin Bhôgavarman (l. 15).⁴ The date

¹ śrî. ² Lichchhavi-kula-kêtu, line 2.
³ mahâsâmant-Aṁśuvarmmaṇâ vijñâpitêna mayâ; line 6-7.
⁴ This person would seem to be Aṁśuvarman's sister's son, who is mentioned in inscription E.
below.—He must not be confused with Śivadêva II.'s father-in-law, the Maukhari Bhôgavarman, who
is mentioned in inscription R. below, and was at least a full generation later.—See page 180 below,
note 3, on another point.