Chronology of the Hindoos, 
commencement of that year in which the flight happened (y) ; 
and thus we find, on comparing the Hindoo eras, that though 
fome of them are profeiled to be counted from the deaths of 
their kings or other hiftorical events, they yet all begin from 
the fame point of the fun’s annual courfe through the zodiac. 
The numerical reckoning of the years can well be conceived, 
more liable to arbitrary change, as being lefs interefling to the 
bulk of the people, than the obfervaoce of a particular day, 
whofe periodical return is every where marked with popular 
ceremonies and fuperftitions. / 
The era to which Salabdn has given name dates from the 
ySth year of Chrift, or 4^9 ift of the Julian period, com- 
mencing with the 3179th year of the grand era. As this is 
no lefs than 134 years later than that of Bikt 1 amaj.it, it leems a 
bold anachronifm to make them cotemporaries, or to fuppofe, 
what is commonly aflerted, that the one prince was the con- 
queror of the other (r). Fortunately for my prefent invefti- 
gation, it is hiftory rather than chronology which fufrers from 
this want of accuracy or difcri ruination in the annalifts of 
India, or their Perfian tranflators. Salabdn , who is faid to 
have reigned many years over the ancient kingdom of Narfnga f 
in the northern part of the peninfula, is defcribed as a liberal 
encourager of the fciences. There is reafon to think, that 
aftronomy experienced a reformation and confiderable improve- 
ments under his aufpices ; and the profeffors appear to have 
attached the celebrity of an era to his death, in refpedl for his 
talents and gratitude for his protection. 
As the era of Bikramajit prevails chiefly in the higher or 
northern provinces of India, fo does that of Salabdn in the 
fouthern, but more exclufively. I11 their current tranfaflions, 
however, the inhabitants of the peninfula employ a mode of 
4 E 2 computation 
