1921.] The Chronology of the Sena Kings. 15 
the years of the Gaya inscriptions are to be counted with 
reference to one of these eras ; but the fact that their epochs 
fall so closely to the end of Laksmanasena’s reign, and the names 
given them, viz. Balali, evidently a contracted form of 
Ballali, i.e. pertaining to Ballal (Sen), seem to me to lend 
strength to the conclusion, we have independently arrived at 
above, that there was a practice, in different parts of the 
country, of counting dates with reference to the end of the 
last independent Hindu dynasty. 
Thus three independent lines of evidence, viz. the dates 
given in Danasigara and Adbhutasagara, the account of the 
Muhammadan historian Minhaj and the dated inscriptions of As- 
okacalladeva, all lead to the conclusion that Laksmanasena flour- 
ished towards the end of the twelfth century A.D. This view 
again is in full agreement with what we know about the rela- 
tions of the Pala and the Sena kings. For, as we have seen 
above, Madanapala could not poasitly have flourished earlier 
than the first quarter of the twelfth century A.D., and he was in 
possession of Varendra which was afterwards ecucad by 
Vijayasena. 
e date given in Danasagara and Adbhutasagara being 
thus eeerheeat ar by external evidence, we may prov visionally 
ascended the throne in or shortly before 1159 A.D. As one of 
the inscriptions of Vijayasena is dated in the 32nd _ year of his 
reign * he must be held to have enjoyed a long reign. Thus his 
accession is placed quite close to the year 1119 A.D., the 
epoch of the so-called Laksmanasena era. + This naturally 
gives rise to a strong presumption that the era commemorates 
the accession of that monarch. The fact seems to be that 
with the destruction of the Hindu monarchy the reckoning 
reckoning would be either such full titles as Laksmanasenasy = 
Glita-rajye or simply Laksmaniya sam or even samvat.’ It is 
easy to infer that the second expression came to be contracted as 
La Sam. The earlier La Sam therefore seems to have com- 
memorated the end of Hindu monarchy. Later on, however, 
the people probably came to the right conclusion, that the 
best way of commemorating the rule of the Sena aes is not 
1 That the Scasiaspaenaty of Vija yasena and Nanyadeva leads to 
he same conclusion has been shown in the accompanying Paper on Pala 
Chronology. 
Ep. Ind., fis XV, p. 278. 
3 For the e a associated with Govindapala is variously known as 
(1) Govindapala-devasy” me gcaligaaal! at, 
(2) Govindapaliya-Sam 
(3) Eaves nadoviakes sac, 
