Vikram Samvat

Also called: Vikrama era · Topic: Studying Indian History: Sources, Dating and Historiography · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

Vikram Samvat (also called the Vikrama era) is an Indian way of counting years. Our study note dates its start to 58 BCE; many books give 57 BCE, because they count its first year differently. It matters because it is one of several Indian eras found in inscriptions and texts. A historian has to know which era a source uses before its date can be read correctly. It is still in use today.

Explanation

Background: why eras were started

• An era is a system for counting years from one chosen event, such as the birth of a religious founder or the start of a king's reign.
• An era is a human choice, not a fact of nature. Different societies picked different starting points, so the same year can carry many different numbers.
• Vikram Samvat is one such era. Its starting point is about 58/57 BCE.

The Vikramaditya story: tradition, not proven fact

• Tradition says the era began when a king called Vikramaditya of Ujjain defeated the Shakas.
• Historians treat this story with care:
• No ruler named Vikramaditya from the 1st century BCE has been firmly proven.

• Many historians think the era was linked to the king's name only later. In older inscriptions it seems to have carried other names, such as the Krita or Malava era.

• In the exam, call it "traditionally linked to" Vikramaditya, not "founded by" him.

Main features

• It runs about 57–58 years ahead of the Common Era. To turn a Vikram year into a CE year, roughly subtract 57 or 58.
• It is a lunisolar calendar. Its months follow the moon, and its years are adjusted to keep in step with the sun.
• It is closely tied to the pañchānga, a book of day-tables with astronomical data. The pañchānga is used to predict eclipses, sunrise and sunset times and the dates of festivals.

How it is used today

• Many people in north and west India still use it for festivals and religious dates.
• It is the official calendar of Nepal, where it is called Bikram Sambat.
• India's official civil calendar is not Vikram Samvat. The Indian National Calendar is based on the Śaka era (78 CE). It was adopted in 1957, on the advice of the Calendar Reform Committee. [1][4]

Time, place and evidence

• When: It starts in 58 BCE according to our notes, and in 57 BCE in many other books.
• Where: Tradition links it to Ujjain, in the Malwa region of central India. Today it is used mainly in north and west India and in Nepal.
• Key figure: Vikramaditya of Ujjain is a figure of tradition. His victory over the Shakas is a story, not a proven event.
• How we know about it:
• Inscriptions and texts. Indian epigraphs (writings carved on stone or metal) often give dates in the Vikrama era. Others use the Śaka era or a king's regnal years. This is a standard problem in reading inscriptions (Class 12 Part 1, Ch 2 "Kings, Farmers and Towns").
• Living practice. The pañchānga and festival calendars still count years in Vikram Samvat.

Don't confuse with

• Śaka era: It begins in 78 CE, not 58/57 BCE. It is the base of India's official Indian National Calendar, adopted in 1957. It is also the most widely used Indian era. [1][4] Vikram Samvat is not India's official calendar.
• Gregorian calendar: It is a solar calendar brought in by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. [2][3] Vikram Samvat is a lunisolar Indian era that runs about 57 years ahead of it.
• CE/BCE (the Common Era): It counts from the conventional year of the birth of Jesus. Vikram Samvat counts from a different, traditional starting point.
• Vikramaditya: This is a title used by several later kings. Do not assume the Vikrama era was founded by any one of them. The link with a king of Ujjain is only a tradition.

Prelims Hooks

• Vikram Samvat starts in 58 BCE according to our notes. Many books say 57 BCE. Śaka era starts in 78 CE. [1]
• Trap: India's official national calendar is based on the Śaka era, not Vikram Samvat. It was adopted in 1957, and its first month is Chaitra. [1][4]
• Vikram Samvat is the official calendar of Nepal.
• Gap between the two eras: 58 BCE to 78 CE = 58 + 78 − 1 = 135 years. Subtract 1 because there is no year zero.
• Chronological order of starting points: Julian calendar (46 BCE) is earlier than Vikram Samvat (58/57 BCE)? No. The correct order is Vikram Samvat (58/57 BCE), then Julian calendar (46 BCE), then Śaka era (78 CE), then Gregorian calendar (1582). [2]
• Tradition links the era to Vikramaditya of Ujjain and a victory over the Shakas. This is legend, not a proven fact.

Mains Points

• Source criticism needs the right era.
• An inscription dated "year 135" means nothing until we know which era the mason was counting in.
• The same event can carry two different numbers in two Indian sources. One may count in the Vikrama era (58 BCE) and the other in the Śaka era (78 CE).

• Historians must identify the era first and only then convert the date.

• Legend and history in dating. The Vikramaditya story shows how later tradition can attach a famous king's name to an older counting system. Historians test such stories against inscriptions before accepting them. This is a good example of reading sources critically in GS-I answers.

• Continuity of Indian time-keeping.
• Vikram Samvat still guides festivals through the pañchānga, which also predicts eclipses and sunrise and sunset times.
• Independent India chose the Śaka era for its official calendar in 1957. [1][4]
• Several calendars are in use side by side: the Gregorian, the national Śaka calendar and Vikram Samvat. This shows both scientific skill and the many layers of India's cultural heritage.

Related concepts

• BCE and CE
• Timeline
• Shaka era
• Gupta era
• Kali Yuga era
• Panchanga

Read more

• Measuring historical time