CHRISTIAX RELIGION IN INDIA. 97 



Our blessed Saviour entered on his mission when 

 thirty years of age, like Budd'ha ; and like him, 

 he was born of a virgin: the additional years were 

 introduced from their mistaking the ecclesiastical 

 cycle of 84- vears for the period of his life ; and like 

 them, the Chistia72S made a point of reckoning their 

 era from this supposed year of his ascension. This 

 was not peculiar to the Hindus; the Christiam of 

 Egypt chose the various manifestations of Christ, 

 during his ministry, and the different events of his 

 life, in preference to that of his birth. According 

 to the appendix to the Agjii-puran'a, the era of 'Saga, 

 or 'Sa'lava'hana, was introduced into India, or 

 began to prevail, in the year corresponding to that of 

 Christ 676, exactly 135 years after the death of 

 a certain Vicrama'ditya. The bloody wars be- 

 tween these two exalted characters, are supposed to 

 have been only about their respective eras ; and Vi- 

 cra'maditya, in his dying moments, thought of no- 

 thing but his era; whilst it is the general opinion, 

 that it began at his death, and of course he could 

 not be the author of it. One would imagine that 

 'Sa'lava'h ana's era would have begun the moment 

 that he became a "Saca, by putting to death another 

 Saca, such as Vicrama'ditya was; but it happened 

 otherwise : 'Sa'lava'hana thought no more of his 

 own era, which was introduced after his death, by his 

 followers, or adherents in the Dekhin; for it never 

 was used in any other part of India except Bengal. 



It is therefore my humble opinion, that the Chris- 

 tian Era was introduced, ?.nd new modelled in India 

 by the Christians, and the \iryya, or Salava, Kings, 

 on the decline of the Christian reUgion; and used 

 by them and other Hindus in their intercourse with 

 them. 



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