Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society July & October 1937

Fleet abandoned the study of the problem of the Ganga Era in utter despair as the synchronism furnished by the GOdavari grant of Prthivinitla and the identification of Indrabhatt.draka lord of the southern or southwestern region mentioned therein with the king Indrabhattaraka of the Eastern Chalukyan dynasty were found to be utterly incompatible with the dates obtained by the conversion of. [...] Dr Fleet while editing the Ganga grant of Indravarman II of the 91st year of the Ganga era.16 expressed the hope that the eclipse of the moon of the full moos day of MargaAira in the year 127 recorded in the charter dated the 15th day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra of the year 128 of the Ganga era coupled with the details of the date in the grant under reviex that is the 3oth day of Magha i [...] The inscription records the grant made on the occasion of the eclipse of the sun in that year ; and the edict was actually engrossed on copper-plates on the gth tithi (panchami) of Ashddha in the year 221 Gänga era.19 This eclipse of the sun in an unspecified month seems to offer the basis as well as the crucial test for determining the starting-point of the GAnga era. [...] The grant would therefore appear to have been made on the occasion of the eclipse of the sun on the nemoon day of Jyeshtha in S. S. 6.1t corresponding to the 23rd May 719 A. D.; towards the end or in the latter part of the Gänga Sainvat 221 ; and the edict announcing it was engraved upon copper-plates on the 5th tithi (day) of Adhika AshaOha five days after the eclipse of the sun and the donat [...] The equivalent of this date on which the edict was engraved in the Christian era was the 28th May 719 A. D. The next record in the order of time is the Chicacole plates of Devendravarman (II) son of Anantavarman I. The record registers a giant made on the occasion of an eclipse of the sun in an unspecified month as before.