भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

remembered rather particularly, because this very Malava Samvat later on became our famous Vikram Samvat. 222. The celebrated historian, Dr. Jayaswal, in his ‘Hindu Polity’, has ably upheld the view that Malava Samvat is the same era as our Vikram Samvat. However, he maintains that Malava Samvat was also called Vikram Samvat (era celebrating a victory) from the very beginning. But from the historical incidents that we are going to cite here, it should be clear that another view of the matter is more acceptable. This second view claims that it was to celebrate the all-India character of the Gupta Emperor, Vikramaditya’s victory over the Saka-Kushan, which wiped out their separate existence from the Indian soil, when the victorious king began to rule from Ujjayaini. That Vikram Samvat became, as years elapsed, more and more widely known throughout the nation and equally popular, so that throughout the whole of north India, millions of Hindus are even now observing it in their religious rites and ceremonies. Origin of Vikram Samvat and Shalivahan Saka 223. It must be made clear here and now, that there is yet no agreement reached amongst the historians about the origin of this Vikram Samvat. There are very wide differences of opinion about the chronology of various important events in our ancient history. So are they on this point too! Even in respect of the birth of Gautam Buddha, the dates suggested by different historians vary at times by fifty or even a hundred years. The same can be said of Kanishka’s times. Some maintain that he ascended the throne in 78 A.D., while others put up the date of his succession to the throne as 120 A.D. Even about this Vikram Samvat a third opinion is still sponsored by some historians that the Vikram Samvat, had nothing to do with the era started by the Malava Republic; that it was the one started in 58 B.C. by Azes I, one of the Chief Kshatraps (Satrap) of the Sakas, who had by then entered India, and the one which later on people renamed as Vikram Samvat when the Gupta Emperor, Vikramaditya completely uprooted the power of the Saka-Kushan. There is also the fourth one that in 58 B.C., a certain valiant emperor, named Vikramaditya, who ruled there at the time, won a great victory over the Sakas and started this era in his own name to commemorate that victory of his. It had again nothing whatever to do with the Malava era or that started by Saka Satrap, Azes I. But as no rock inscription or any other evidence has been found that refers to Vikramaditya, who ruled at that time, or again as no coins of the Vikram