The Junagarh inscription goes on to tell us that during the reign of Rudra-daman, in the year 72 of the Saka era, there occurred a terrible storm. What would be the time in CE of the occurrence of that terrible storm?

The Junagarh (or Girnar) rock inscription of the Saka ruler Rudradaman I is a significant historical record located in Gujarat [1][2]. The inscription specifically mentions that it was carved in the Saka year 72 [2]. To convert the Saka era to the Common Era (CE), one must add 78 years to the Saka date, as the Saka era is widely held to have commenced in 78 CE [1]. Therefore, adding 78 to the Saka year 72 results in 150 CE (72 + 78 = 150). This date corresponds to the period of Rudradaman's reign, which is generally dated between 130 and 150 CE [2]. The inscription describes a terrible storm that caused the bursting of the Sudarshana Lake's dam and its subsequent repair under Rudradaman's orders [2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > Kanishka > p. 80
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Sources > p. 47