गुप्त अभिलेख संग्रह (जे. एफ. फ्लीट - गुप्त सम्राटों एवं परवर्ती नरेशों के ऐतिहासिक पाषाण व ताम्रलेख)

74 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
the Pûrṇimânta northern arrangement of the fortnights of the months, or a northern year
coupled with the Amânta southern arrangement. And, in proof of this position, I will
here adduce some very instructive information gathered from the Nêpâl inscriptions, which
were published by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji in the Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 163 ff.
The earliest eras used in these inscriptions, are the Gupta era, and the era of Harsha-
vardhana of Kanauj. And the recorded dates in them range, respectively, from A.D.
035 to 854, and from A.D. 639 to 758. Soon after that time, these eras were supplanted,
in Nêpâl, by the Nêwâr¹ era, the epoch of which, according to Mr. Prinsep's statement²
that the year 951 ended in A.D. 1831, is A.D. 879-80; and the commencement, A.D.
880-81. Mr. Prinsep also recorded that each year of the era began in October; which
is in accordance, broadly, with the information obtained by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji, when
travelling in Nêpâl, that the initial day of each year is the first day of the bright fortnight
of the month Kârttika (October-November).
As regards the origin of the era, the Nêpâl Vaṁśâvali, or List of Kings, states³ that it
was established by Jayadêvamalla, of the second Ṭhâkurî dynasty of Aṁśuvarman. But
a more important indication of the truth is given by its immediately following statement,
that, on the seventh day of the bright fortnight of the month Śrâvaṇa, in the ninth year of the
era, coupled with Śaka-Saṁvat 811 which as an expired year is equivalent to A.D. 889-90,
during the joint reign of Jayadêvamalla and his younger brother Ânandamalla, there came
from the south a certain Nânyadêva, who conquered the whole of Nêpâl, and established
the Karṇâṭaka Dynasty. The truth probably is that Nânyadêva was a minister of
Jayadêvamalla, and eventually usurped the sovereignty, which, according to the Vaṁśâvali,
remained with his descendants for five generations after him. Whether Nânyadêva really
came from the south, it is of course difficult to say. That statement, and the name of
his dynasty, may perhaps be only inventions, to account for the nature of the year that
was coupled with the new era, which was evidently introduced by him, and not by
Jayadêvamalla. But it is plain that, in addition to the establishment of a new era, there
was made an important change in the calendar, consisting of the substitution of a foreign
Karṇâtaka year for the year that had hitherto been used in Nêpâl. The available dates do
not furnish absolute proof that the initial day of the new year was Kârttika śukla 1. But
the Vaṁśâvali gives the following two equations,—under Nânyadêva, as already noted,
Nêpâla-Saṁvat 9 = Śaka-Saṁvat 811 (expired), with the date of Śrâvaṇa śukla 7; and
under Harisiṁhadêva, No. 1 in the Sûryavaṁśi Dynasty of Bhâtgâm, Nêpâla-Saṁvat 444
¹ Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji tells me that this word, Nêwâr, is a local corruption of 'Nêpâl.'—In the
inscriptions, this era, when it is not simply referred to in the usual way by the word saṁvat, is spoken
of by the terms Nêpâla-varsha (e.g. Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 185, line 13 from the bottom), Nêpâla-
samvata (id. p. 191, line 4 from the top), and Nêpâla-abda (id. p. 192, line 2 from the top).
² Prinsep's Essays, Vol. II. Useful Tables, p. 269; also Indian Eras, p. 74.
³ Ind. Ant. Vol. XIII. p. 414.