Date of Ballālasena

Summary

The dating of Ballalasena's reign, a prominent Sena king of Bengal, has been debated among scholars. Some manuscripts of his works, the *Dinasigara* and *Adbkutasigara*, contain verses referencing their composition dates: the *Dinasigara* mentions 1001 Saka era (1169 CE), while the *Adbkutasigara*'s introductory verses suggest it was begun in 1000 Saka era (1168 CE). However, these dates have been contested due to inconsistencies across manuscripts and suspicions of interpolation. New evidence from the *Adbkutasigara* strengthens the case for these dates. Multiple sections explicitly reference the year of commencement (1090 Saka era, or 1168-1169 CE) in astronomical calculations, including Parvedvaraganana, Sastyaddayugagapana, and Varsadhipaganana. These sections consistently use the term *kha-nava-dasa* (1090 Saka era), making interpolation unlikely. Additionally, a verse in the *Adbkutasigara* directly ties Ballalasena's accession to 1082 Saka era (1168 CE), aligning with the Saptarsi cycle calculations. Scholars like Manomohan Chakravarti and Harit Krishna Dev have analyzed these references, with Dev noting the Saptarsi cycle's alignment with the Bharata War tradition. Despite earlier skepticism, the internal consistency of the *Adbkutasigara* and corroborating astronomical data confirm Ballalasena's reign began around 1168