88 HISTORY OF CASHMIR. 



interval of 139 years, to be divided amongst six princes, and although this 

 will give us a little more than the probable average reign, or 23 years for 

 each prince, yet it still is not extravagant, and the excess may either goto 

 form an unusually long reign for Ranaditya, whence arose the tradition 

 of its lasting for three centuries, or it may be required for the apparent 

 chasm that exists between his reign, and the unconnected succession of 

 the Cashmirian prince, named also Vicramaditya. 



By bringing the reign of Pravarasena so low as A.D. 476, we are in- 

 volved in some perplexity, as to the propriety of subjecting the preceding 

 dynasties to a proportionate reduction. If the series of the princes were 

 accurately stated, this would -seem to be a necessary consequence, and if 

 besides this we should restrict the duration of each reign to the highest pos- 

 sible average or 20 years, we shall then effect a very material modification 

 of our author's chronology, and reduce his first date from 1182 B. C. to no 

 more than 144 years before that aera. There are however some difficulties in 

 the way of this computation : — 



The first is the reign of Pratapaditya, a kinsman of Vicramaditya, 

 placed however by our author 168 B. C. and consequently, according to 



him, not connected with the Vicramaditya, from whose time the Samvat sera. 

 is dated. This inference so obviously arises from the system of our author's 

 chronology, that it is entitled to but little weight, unless that can be proved 

 unexceptionable. We may therefore conclude that Pratapaditya was con- 

 nected with the family of the Sacari Vicramaditya, and that he lived a- 

 Jbout the commencement of the christian sera : it does not appear that he was 

 contemporary with his illustrious kinsman. From Pratapaditya, to Prava- 

 rasena, we have ten princes, and 486 years, which gives us consequently the 

 inadmissible duration of 48 years to a reign. The original chronology is less 

 extravagant, but equally improbable, as that gives us an average of 29 years 

 to a reign : there is an error therefore somewhere in this part of the histo- 

 ry, and either the chronology is wrong, or the series of princes is inaccurate. 

 It is worthy of remark, that the course of succession is a very interrupted one 

 throughout the whole period; Pratapaditya himself ascends the throne 



