New Light on the Epoch of the Kalacuri Era

Summary

New scholarship on the Kalacuri era re‑examines the start date of this important chronological system. Dr. Kielhorn originally placed the epoch at A.D. 248, later adjusting to 247–48 based on North‑Indian inscriptions. The present article surveys early inscriptions from Gujarat and Maharashtra, which align with the 248–49 epoch, and compares them with later epigraphs from North India that fit 247–48. This duality suggests two co‑existing bases. The discovery of Nagardhan copper plates provides a date that combines a particular lunar month, solar eclipse and cyclic year. Astronomical analysis of this combination points to 250–51 A.D., implying a third possible epoch for the Kalacuri erafile:///home/oai/share/split_articles/new_light_on_the_epoch_of_the_kalacuri_era.pdffile:///home/oai/share/split_articles/new_light_on_the_epoch_of_the_kalacuri_era.pdf#:~:text=82%20New%20Light%20on%20the,these%20was%20of%2012%20nivar. The author argues that different regions may have used distinct starting points, with the 248 and 247 epochs reflecting local traditions, while the new 250‑51 evidence indicates that a momentous solar eclipse could have been commemorated as the beginning of a third epoch. By comparing epigraphic, astronomical and historical data, the article concludes that the Kalacuri era was more fluid than previously assumed, and multiple starting points may have been recognised at different times and places.