τὴν δὲ εἴκοσί τε ἐτέων καὶ ἑκατόν.
The restoration is certain, because the omission is explained through the ὁμοιοτέλευτον, and gives a meaning to the καὶ. The sense is made indubitable by Diodorus' rhetorical rendering of the same text of Megasthenes, ii. 38: τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον, πολλαῖς γενεαῖς ὕστερον καταλυθείσης τῆς ἡγεμονίας δημοκρατηθῆναι τὰς πόλεις; cf. 39, ὕστερον δὲ πολλοῖς ἔτεσι τὰς πόλεις δημοκρατηθῆναι.
From this it follows that the monarchy was thrice interrupted by democratic governments, and that there were four periods. This is the Indian tradition. But the whole was conceived as one history, doubtless with a prehistoric ideal beginning, like our Manus and Tuiskon. Therefore, no cosmic periods (Brahmanical imposture), but four generations of Aryan history in India.
The Kaliyuga is a new world, just as much as Teutonic Christendom, but no more. The Indians will probably have commenced it A. D. 410, as friend Kingsley too (in his “Hypatia”). [pg 461] Where is the starting-point? I hold to 1015 years as the chronological computation up to the time of the Nandas.
For the Nandas, I hold to the 22 years.
If they say that Kâlâṣoka and his ten sons reigned 22 years; and Nanda, nine brothers in succession, 22 years; the 22 years is not wrong, either here or there, but the 22 is correct and the ten kingly personages also, for aught I care: but the names are altered (and really to do away with the plebeian Nanda), therefore it is neither 44, nor 88, nor 100 (which is nothing), but
| 22 | |
| —— | |
| From Parikshit to the year before Sandrakottus | 1037 |
| Sandrak's first year 312 (?), 317 (?), 320 (?). I have no opinion on the point, therefore take the middle number about | 317 |
| —— | |
| Beginning of the fourth period | 1354 B. C. |
| Interregnum, popular government | 120 |
| —— | |
| End of the third period | 1475 |
Nakshatra era 1476? (Weber, “Indian Studies,” ii. 240.)
This fourth period is that of the supremacy of the Brahmans in the beginning, with its recoil in Buddha towards the end.
In the year 1250 B. C. about the one hundredth year of the era, Semiramis invaded India (Dâvpara).