Mahabharata date. Was: Iron Age in India

[Anand M. Sharan]

On Fri, 22 Sep 2000 19:05:27 +0530, Rajesh Kochhar <rkk at NISTADS.RES.IN>
wrote:

>In the literature, one can find arguments that assign a date to the Bharata
>battle ranging in round numbers from  3000BC to 1000BC..It is easier to
date
>the beginning of the iron age than to date the Bharata battle. It would be
>better to fix the beginning of the iron age from independent sources and
>then use this information to constrain the Bharata battle
chronology ,rather
>than the  other way round.
>rajesh kochhar
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Prof Rajesh Kochhar
>Director
>National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies
>Pusa Gate , K S Krishnan Marg , New Delhi 110012
>ph + 91 11  5764064 / 5743227/5765380 x231   fax 5754640
>hm + 91 11 576 0281
>altenative email rkochhar2000 at yahoo.com
>web site  http://nistads.res.in { NOTE no www}
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Anand M. Sharan <asharan at ENGR.MUN.CA>
>To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
>Date: Friday, September 22, 2000 3:12 PM
>Subject: Re: Mahabharata date. Was: Iron Age in India
>
>
>>In my last posting, I had indicated the drying up of the Saraswati river
>>around 1700 BCE, and that the Mahabharata War took place before that based
>>on the description in Mahabharata, about Balram's pilgrimage along the
>>Saraswati river. I had also mentioned about Fitzgerald's work on the use
of
>>iron during the War. I had mentioned other instances where the use of iron
>>is mentioned.
>>I have read another source about dating the Mahabharata based on the
>>planetary configuration. It gives the date of starting of the War on Nov.
>>22, 3067 BCE ( I will try to post the details on a web site shortly -
>>within a few days ) . Therefore, considering any of these sources- drying
>>up of the Saraswati river,  and the planetary configuarations, one can say
>>that the Iron Age in India was far older than previously believed .
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>Anand M. Sharan

There is a reason for approaching the date of Mahabharata this way . The
planetary motions are determinate including those of the orientation of the
earth's rotational axis, which has a cycle of approximately 26, 000 years .
I am not sure, if the people who have made the Panchang have included this
motion . If they have not ( their model is based on observations, which may
not be as accurate ), then the date will be off.  Still , it would be
better than searching for the needle ( remains of the iron in Mahabharat)
in the haystack . If Lord Ganesh, and Vyasjee recorded things accurately (
the descriptions ) , it would be possible to estimate the date of the
Mahabharat War, and hence, the Iron Age in India. All things have to
match .  I am looking for an appropriate software to match the
description . If any one knows about such a software, pl provide the
details by posting it.

The web site where I have posted the details of the present Estimation is
mentioned below:

http://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/mahabharat/historicityofmahabharat.htm

Thanks.

Anand M. Sharan