fo r th e in te rv a l b e tw e en K ris h n a a n d V ik ram a d ity a , who
liv e d a t th e co n clu sio n o f th e c h ro n o lo g ic a l p e rio d n am e d
a fte r Y u d h ish t’h ir a , a n d ]5ut a n en d to it b y in tro d u c in g
a n o th e r e r a b e a rin g h is own n am e . T h e e ra o f V ik ra -
m a d ity a is k n ow n to h av e comm en ced fifty six y e a rs b e fo re
C h ris t, a n d th e c a lc u la tio n th e re fo re c a rrie s b a c k th e re ig n s
o f th e S o la r and L u n a r dy n asties, to 1100 x 2 + 5 6 = 2 2 5 6
b e fo re C h ris t. A t th a t p e rio d , i t is su p p o sed b y C o lo n el
T o d th a t th e firs t co lo n ies o f Hin d o o s a rriv e d in In d ia from
th e c o u n trie s o f C e n tra l A sia, w h e re th e In d ia n ra c e origin?"
a te d . To d iffe re n t p rin c e s -o f th e s e d y n a stie s h e a ttrib u te s j
a s to -h isto ric a l p e rso n a g e s, th e fo u n d a tio n o f a ll th e sta te s
o f N o rth e rn H in d u s ta n . T h e d y n a stie s o f A y p d h y a o r
O u d e , S u r a s h tr a a n d M ew a r in th e W e s t 5are. th e p rin c ip a l
b ra n c h e s o f th e S o la r line, o f Ik s hw a k u , a n d th e ro y a l h o uses
o f In d r a p r e s t’h a o r D e lh i a n d o ftM a g a d h a , in C e n tra l a n d
E a s te rn In d ia , a re th e c h ie f branches- o fjjth e L u n a r l i n e , ~ o p -
o f th e fam ily o f S om a o r o f I n d u . . O f th e S o la r fa tp ily ^ o r
th e S u ry a -v an sa s, th e m o s t c e le b ra te d was K am a , th e h e ro
o f th e a n c ie n t p o em , th e R am a y a n a . O f th e In d u -v a n sa s, o r
So ina-v an sas, c h ild re n o f th e Moon,; w e re th e P a n d a v a s o f
th e M a h a b h a ra ta , d e sc e n d a n ts o f P a n d u , th e e ld e ^ h o f whom
w a s Y u d is b f ih ir a ; th e y re ig n e d a t In d r a p r e S tlb ^ o v ,D e lh i,
w h ich was th e s e a t o f th e em p ire u n til th e tim e.-o f V ik ra -
m a d ity a , wh o tra n s fe rre d h is g o v e rnm e n t to O u je in . T h e
second b ra n c h o f th e Soma-v an sas a re th e 'k in g s d LM a g a -
d h a , in whose succession .ap p ear, a f te r a lo n g in te rv a l, th e
c e le b ra te d n am e s o f ,C h a n d ra g u p ta # a n d A so k a . Th ejcMe f
a u th o r itie s fo r th is la s t succession a n d th a t o f R am a , a re
th e A g n i a n d B h a g v a t-p u ra n a sl T h e lin e o f th e P a n d a v a s
re s ts on th e R a j-T a rin g in i a n d th e R a ja o lie .f
T h o u g h so m u c h re s e a rc h a n d in g e n u ity h a s b e e n d isp
la y e d in in v e s tig a tin g th is e a rlie r p a r t o f In d ia n ch ro n o lo
g y , arid th o u g h th e a ttem p t seems h o p e fu l w h en we c o n s
id e r th e co p io u sn ess o f th e m a te ria ls , th e r e a re m an y
c irc um sta n c e s w h ich m u s t p re v e n t o u r fu lly re ly in g on th e
* Chandragupta was the founder of a new dynasty, the Mauryas, who succeeded
the Lunar line.
f Tod, ubi supra, p. 46.
a c cu ra cy o f th e re s u lts . I t h a s b e en w e ll o b serv ed by M r .
E lp h in sto n e ,' who- h a s la te ly rev iew ed th is su b je c t w ith a
m o re c ritic a l ju d g em e n t, th a t th e "lists g iv e n in th e P u ra n a s
o f th e tw o p a ra lle l lin e s o f k in g s o f th e L u n a r a n d S o la r
ra c e s s a id to h a v e re ig n e d in A y o d h y a o r O u d e , b y m ean s
o f w h ic h S ir W . Jo n e s ^ attem p ted to fix th e d a te s o f th e
e a r l i e r In d ia n c h ro n o lo g y * a re so c o n tra d ic to ry as to be"
u nw o rth y o f im p lic it co n fid en ce. T h e h e a d s o f th e tw o
lin e s a r e co n tem p o ra rie s,..b e in g b ro th e r a n d s is te r, y e t th e
L u n a r ra c e has fo rty e ig h t names in th e same p e rio d in w h ic h
th e S o la r h a s n in e ty five ^ aB d K ris h n a , w h om th e P u r a n a s
m a k e lo n g p o ste rio r to R am a , -is fiftie th in th e L u n a r ra c e ;
w h ile R ama is six ty -th ird in th e So lar lin e . T h e a b su rd
n a rra tiv e s b y which-«these lists a re accom p an ied in c re a se s
th e ir in c re d ib ility , a n d n o p a r t o f th em affords a se cu re
basis- fo r c h ro n o lo g y d ow n to th e tim e o f K ris h n a a n d th e
W a r o f th e M a h a b h a ra ta . F rom th a t e ra we h a v e n um e ro u s
lists jof k in g s -in d iffe ren t p a r ts o f In d ia w h ich b e a r th e a p p
e a ra n c e o f p ro b a b ility , a n d a re co n firmed b y ex tra n e o u s
te s tim o n y , a n d th e lin e o f M a g a d h a p re s e n ts a c o n n e c ted
se rie s o f kings- from th a t c e le b ra te d w a r d own to th e fifth
c e n tu ry a fte r th e C h ris tia n e ra . P re v io u s to th is d a te , as in
th e G re c ia n h is to ry p re c e d in g th e w a r o f T ro y , ev ery th in g
is m ix e d w ith fables a n d a n a ch ro n ism s. T h e o ld e st n am e
in In d ia n h is to ry o r h is to ric a l p o e try w h ic h is c o n n e c ted
w ith an y im p o rta n t ev en t is th a t o f R am a , a n d h is s to ry
in t h e *pöëm o f th e Ramayana-i&i'fu l¥ r o f in c id e n ts w h ic h
c o u ld n o t h av e h a p p e n e d 5 u n til lo n g a fte r h is tim e . H is
concpfest o f C ey lo n , L a n k a D w ip a , is one o f th e s e , a n d
th e sole fOundation th a t can b e im a g in e d fo r th is sto ry
* Sir W. Jones on these data computed the commencement of the lists, and
of the kingdom of Ayodhya, where § § § § afterwards reigned, a t three thousand
Bve fcindred years before Christ. I Professor Wilson dates the commencement
of I I I history of kashmir in "two thousand six hundred and sixty six before
Christ! ■ But this depends on the accuracy of a collective'number of one thousand
two hundred and sixty six years, which are stated in the Raj-Taringini
to have elapsed1 before the age of, Gonerda ^ f o r e Christ one thousand four
hundred years), and between th a t prince and Kasyapa, who divided the valley
of Kashmir by cutting through the mountains with his scymetar. Asiat.
Researches, vol. 1& p. 92.