Major Tod, on an Inscription at Madhucarghar. 211 



The regal chair of" the Prdmdras was fixed in Avanti, long before the 

 Christian era. Vicramaditya was not the first conspicuous monarch who 

 wielded the sceptre in this ancient city ; though he is a most important 

 one, and might be placed as the fixed point, both in their geography* and 

 history. 



Chandragupta, who has generally been supposed to be the Sandracottus 

 of Alexander and Seleucus, was of the Prdmdra tribe, and the branch 

 Mori, not Maurya, as it has probably been interpolated, and which held 

 Chitracut'a {Chitore), as a grand fief from Avanti, so late as the eighth 

 century, when taken by a prince of the Grahilote tribe, ancestor of the 

 present Rand of Mewdr. 



Chandragupta, in the Pnrdnas, is placed as the descendant of Sehesndg 

 of the Tacshac race (most probably tlie Tachari of higher Asia), which 

 appears to have invaded India from the north, six or seven centuries before 

 the Christian era. 



The inscription, to which I alluded (in my paper on the Chd]iamdnas),-\ 

 of a Chandragupta, was dated Samvat 466, but I said it was doubtful 

 whether of the Vicrama or Virata era. It was given to me by the Hierarch 

 of the Khartrdgadiha, the first of all the Jain sects ; and is in a character 

 disused in India, but which he and his librarian, and two of his chief 

 disciples, can read. With it were other interesting inscriptions of the same 

 kind, (but modified) ; and a key to the character I shall have the honour 

 to present on some future occasion to the Society. 



The Virdta-Samvat is that of Mahavira, the last of the twenty-four 

 deified Jineswai-as ; and was established four hundred and seventy-seven 

 years anterior to that of Vicramaditya, and continued in use long atiter the 

 latter : but when it began to be generally used is uncertain ; and it conse- 

 quently causes considerable doubt, when referring to Jaina dates. I am 

 not sure that it is not still used in sacred matters. 



Now it is related, that Mahavira expounded to Chandragupta, the 

 Lord of Avanti, his twelve dreams. This Chandragupta, therefore, could 

 not be the ally of Seleucus. But the same proper names recur at intervals 

 in many genealogies. 



Bayer, in his history of the Bactrian kingdom, and D'Anville, botli 



* Avanti is the first meridian of the Hindu astronomers, 

 t Sec page 133 of this volume. 



Vol. I. 2 F 



