AzvaghoSa

[Richard Salomon]

Dear Dominic (et al).:

My feeling on the new evidence presented by Cribb & Sims-Williams--and also
now by Falk in Silk Road Art and Archaeology-- in favor of  dating Kaniska
in the first half of the 2nd century AD is that it is persuasive but not
conclusive. In legal (American) terms, it would (if I were the judge)
constitute "a clear preponderance of evidence" [standard of proof for a
civil suit], but not "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" [standard for
criminal case]. I therefore lean toward a second century date for Kaniska,
but with the proviso that the 78 AD date is still not absolutely ruled out.

I have alluded to this issue, though not discussed  it in detail, in two
forthcoming articles, one in JAOS, the other in Bulletin of the Asia
Institute.

Rich

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dominik Wujastyk" <ucgadkw at UCL.AC.UK>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 5:25 PM
Subject: Re: AzvaghoSa


> On Fri, 19 Jul 2002, Richard Salomon wrote:
>
> > guesswork. The bottom line seems to be a pattern of association with the
> > "Great Kushanas," especially Kaniska (see Johnston's Buddhacarita, int.
pp.
> > xiii-xvii)--whenever they/he were
>
>
> Dear Richard,
>
> Does your comment above mean that you have reservations about the
> recent(ish) datings of Kaniska and his dynasty by Nicholas Sims-Williams
> and Joe Cribb?
>
> Best,
> Dominik
>
>
>
>
> author =        "Nicholas Sims-Williams and Joe Cribb",
>   title =         "{A new Bactrian inscription of Kanishka the Great}",
>   publisher =     "The Institute of Silk Road Studies",
>   year =          "1995/96 {[1996]}",
>   volume =        "4",
>   journal =         "{Silk Road art and archaeology}",
>   address =   "Kamakura",
>   pages =          "75--142",
>   abstract =      "Kaniska  earliest 100--126, latest 120--146.",
>
>
>   author =        "Joe Cribb",
>   title =         "{The early Kushan kings: new evidence for chronology.
>     Evidence from the Rabatak inscription of Kanishka I}",
>   booktitle =     "{Coins, art, and chronology.  Essays on the pre-Islamic
>     history of the Indo-Iranian borderlands}",
>   year =          "1999",
>   pages =         "177--205",
>