1855.] On the Epoch of the Gupta Dynasty. 373 



the original text of Al Biruni, and then proceeds to the somewhat 

 bold expedient of proposing a translation, that is to supersede that 

 of M. Reinaud, the Professor of Arabic in the Oriental College of 

 Paris ! The latter I shall leave to defend himself, but it is neces- 

 sary for me to state at once, that the amended version is pronounced 

 erroneous by all the Arabic scholars, European and Native to whom 



I have submitted the passage in question.* But the most unaccount- 



" Abu Rihan who in bis account of Indian eras, identifies the Gupta kal, or 

 Gupta era, with the Ball aba kal, or era of Balabhi, which commenced in A. D. 

 319. These eras are mentioned no less than three times by Abu Rihan ; and each 

 time he has identified them as starting from the same date. But it appears to 

 me that the most important of these passages must either be corrupt or obscure, 

 for the translation given by M. Reinaud makes the epoch of the Guptas commence 

 from the date of their extermination! If this is a correct translation, there can 

 be little doubt that the text of Abu Rihan must be erroneous ; for we know posi- 

 tively that the Guptas were reigning during the fifth and sixth centuries of our 

 era. But I will venture to suggest a different translation of this important pas- 

 sage, by which the error is got rid of, without any alteration of the text: — [here 

 follows tke Arabic text introduced with M. Reinaud's French Translation, page 

 332]. " With regard to the Gupta kal (or era of the Guptas) the name was that of 

 a wicked and powerful family; whose epoch became extinct with themselves ; and 

 truly Ballaba was after tbem ; for the beginning of their era is the same as (that 

 of) the last (namely) 241 of the Saka kal. m 



The underlined passage in the original text is thus translated by M. Reinaud : 



II et l'ere qui porte leur nom est l'epoque de leur extermination ;" but the literal 

 translation appears to be, " and then became extinct along with their epoch," 

 which agrees with the version that I have given above. 



The statement made in M. Reinaud's version is so extraordinary that, even 

 without any direct proofs of its inaccuracy, I would have set it aside as erroneous. 

 The era of the Seleukidse began with the foundation of the Syrian empire by 

 Seleukos ; the Christian era is dated from the establishment of Christianity ; and 

 the era of the Guptas without doubt commenced with the settlement of their own 

 dynasty. For the Guptas, as I have mentioned before, date their inscriptions in 

 an era of their own ; which, though not so named by them, was actually a Gupta 

 kal, and must, therefore, have been called such by the people. — Bhilsa Topes, p. 140, 



* In order to put my readers in possession of the statements of Al Biruni in 

 all their integrity, I append the French Translation of all that refers to the Gupta 

 era, inserting likewise the original Arabic of the disputed passage. 



" On emploie ordinairement les eres de Sri-Harscha, de Vikramaditya, de Saca, 

 de Ballaba et des Gouptas. * * L'ere de Saca, nommee par les Indiens Saca- 



3 c 2 



