y e a rs mope w ill b e re q u ire d before th e p la n e ts r e tu rn to
tb e same situ a tio n a g a in , a n d tb e ^ r im i t iy e cata sta sis o f
tb e h eav en s sh a ll b e re s to re d . Such is th e g ra n d a n om a lis7„
tic p e rio d te rm e d a k a lp a , a n d fan c ifu lly d e sig n a ted b y th e
H in d o o s as a d ay o f B ra hm a . ’T h e k a lp a was su b d iv id ed
in to m a nw a n ta ra s a n d g re a te r a n d le s se r y u g s; T h e M a h a
Y u g o r G r e a te r A g e, is th e an om a listic p e rio d o f th e S u n a n d
M o o n ; a t th e e n d o f wh ich th e la tte r , w ith h e r ap o g e e a n d
a sc en d in g n o d e , is fo u n d , to g e th e r w ith th e S u n , in th e
firs t o f A rie s, th e p la n e ts also d e v ia tin g from th a t p o in t only
a s m u c k a s is th e ir la titu d e a n d th e d ifferen ce b e tw e e n th e ir
m e an a n d tr u e an om a ly .*
T h e M a h a Y u g was fu r th e r d iv id ed in to th e S a ty a , Treta,-
D w a p a r a n d K a li Yogs* a su b d iv isio n w h ic h .does h o t a p p e a r
to h a v e a n sw e re d a n y p ra c tic a l p u rp o s e co n n ected ' w ith
a stro n om y , b u t m e re ly to h av e been a n ad o p tio n -,'in to th e
ch ro n o lo g ic a l sy stem , o f id eas c o rre sp o n d in g w ith th o s e qn
w h ic h th e G re e k s fo rm ed th e ir G o ld e n ^ S ilv e r, B ra z e n , a n d
I ro n Ages. B u t th e s e fo u r p e rio d s com p rise th e d u ra tio n o f
th e w o rld t h a t n ow is , b e g in n in g , lik e a ll d th ^ r traditions;}
w ith a tim e w h e n th e g o d s co n v e rsed w ith m e n a n d »visited
th e w o rld in h um a n fo rm s. T h e a n tiq u ity o f th e w o rld is
e x te n d e d to su it th e a stro n om ic a l e ra s . I n the. th r e e e a rlie r
o f th e s e p e rio d s 'th e re a re m a n y re la tio n s w h ic h E v id e n tly a re
b u t d iffe ren t a c co u n ts o f th e e v en ts re c o rd e d in th e h o o k o f
G en esis, a n d in th e c h ro n o lo g ic a l a n tiq u itie s of: m a n y n a tio
n s. T h e B ra hm a n s ch o se a s i t seems to co n n e c t the. g r e a t
e v en ts o f In d ia n h is to ry w ith th e c om m en c em en t o f th e
K a li Y u g . A t th a t p e rio d th e y p la c e d th e w a r o f th e M a -
h a b h a ra ta , th e a g e o f K ris h n a , Y u d h ish t’h ir a , a n d o th e r
h e ro e s . W h e n th e n th e y b e g a n , to c om p u te th e d a te s o f
ev e n ts b y a stro n om ic a l cycles, i t was n o t to b e w o n d e red a t,
th a t th e y c a rrie d b a c k too fa r th e e ra o f th e K a li Y u g , a n d
w ith i t th e ev en ts w h ic h th e y h a d c o n n e c ted w ith it. T h e
K a li Y u g b e g a n th r e e th o u s a n d one h u n d re d a n d tw e n ty
o n e y e a rs b e fo re C h r i s t ;+ w h e re a s, as we h av e shown, th e
* Mr. Daris on the Astronomical Computations of the Hindoos, Asiatic Res.,
vol, 2, p . 229.
t Asiatic Researches, yol. 5, p. 288.
events- c o n n e c ted w ith i t h ap p en ed a b o u t fo u rte e n c e n tu rie s
on%#efpFre th e C h ris tia n e ra .
JYate 2 Hd^Bßcnori' H V -H is to ry o f t h e In d o -S c y th ia n o r
;ä T u rk is h D y n a sty '’1 w h ich succeeded th e G re e k D y n a sty
in B a c tria ■ an d in W e s te rn In d ia .
A h u n d re d y e a rs h a v e elap sed since B a y e r w ith lab o rio u s
d ilig e n c e c o lle c ted a ll th a t th e an c ie n ts h av e le ft in re la tio n
to th e colony o f G reeks: in B a c tria ,* a n d f tjds ;o n ly w ith in th e
la s t few y ears’ th a t th e sum o.f in fo rm a tio n seemed e v e r lik e ly
§o b e in c re a sed . Kohler*- in S t. P e te r s b u rg , a n d T y ch sen ,
a t G p ttjjR ^ ii# ^ firs t d rew th e a tte n tio n o f th e le a rn e d on
,th ,% Qo n tin ent to th e ; h is to ric a l im p o rta n c e o f coins fo u n d
in th e e a ste rn co u n trie s o f A sia, a n d the, su b je c t w a s b ro u g h t
Ä f o r e th e p u b lie in E n g la n d b y C o lo n el' T o d an d o th e rs .
T h e c e le b ra te d a c ad em ician , M . R a o u l R o c h e tte , was th e firs t
wh o Shewed th e p ro b a b ility o f Success in illu s tra tin g from
th is' S-Qurce th e o b scu re h is to ry o f th e G re e k k in g s o f B a c tria
a n d th e ir In d o -^ cy .th ian su ccesso rs. ■ A p ro d ig io u s n um b e r
o f .coins h av e b e en discovered*, jsn d iffe ren t p la c e s w ith in th e
su p p o sed d om in io n o f these* k in g s . T h e .g r e a te s t q u a n tity
h a s h een fo u n d in flfi,; -ruins f B a g h ram , in K o h ista n ,
su p p o sed to b e th e site o f th e Cau casian A le x a n d ria . M an y
h a v e b e en disco v ered in, th e n e ig h b o u rin g d is tric ts , a n d in
v a rio u s p lace s in th e P a n jh b , one co llectio n c o n ta in in g n o t
less th a n seven th o u s a n d specimens. T h ey h a v e e x e rc ised
iflie d ilig e n t sc ru tin y o f m an y o rie n ta l sc h o la rs, as G ro te fe n d
a n d O ttfrie d M u lle r, P ro fe sso r W ilso n a n d M r. J am e s P r in -
sep , a n d la s tly ,J o f P ro fe sso r Lassen, wh o se “ G e sch ich te
d e r G rie ch isch en u n d In d o -S k y th is c h e n K ö n ig e ” co n tain s
th e p rin c ip a l in fo rm a tio n th a t h a s y e t b e e n a c q u ire d on th e
su b je c t. I t seems th a t th e s e coins consist o f sev e ra l series,
d ifferin g in sty le a n d in th e c h a ra c te rs o f th e ir re sp e c tiv e
* Histbria Regni Greeeorum Ractriani, Auc¥; Th. S. Bayero,—Petrop., 1738,
4to.
t Comment, recent. Goetting., v. vi.
y.-qj; Except the admirable work of Professor Wilson ju st published, entitled
“ Ariana Antiqua.”