Question

The saka era started from the year ______ ?
A. 124 BC
B. 78 BC
C. 78 AD
D. 124 AD

Answer 1

Hint:
Kanishka was the emperor of the Kushan dynasty in the second century. He was noted for his military, political and spiritual achievements. Kanishka dated 78 B.C. Ascended the throne, and this date was used as the beginning of the Saka calendar era.

Complete answer:
 Shaka Yuga or Shalivahana Saka is a historical calendar era (year number), Yuga (its year zero) which corresponds to the Julian year 78. It is commonly known in Indian languages ​​as Goes to Shalivahana ("the era of Shalivahana") or in the superpowers ("Greater Era") and continues to be used in traditional calendars.
The earliest known users of the era are the Western satraps, the rulers of Shaka (Indo-Scythian) Ujjain. From the reign of Rudrasingh I (178–197), he recorded the date of the minting of his coins in the era of Shaka, usually written in Brahmi numerals on the backside of the king's head.

The calendar era was used in the Gupta period and became part of the Hindu tradition after the fall of Buddhism in India. It was widely in use from the 6th to 7th century, such as in the works of Varahamihira and Brahmagupta, and also appears in epigraphy in Hindu Southeast Asia until the 7th century.
The calendar era continued to be used in India and South East Asia during the medieval period, with the main alternate era in the traditional Hindu period being the Vikram Samvat era (56 BCE). It was used by the Javanese courts until 1633, when it was replaced by Anno Javanico, a hybrid Javanese-Islamic system. It was adopted in 1955 as the era of the Indian national calendar (also known as the "Uk calendar") but was not widely used.
Hence, the correct answer is option B.

Note:
The Shaka Yuga is the oral equinox of 78 CE. The year of the official Shaka calendar is associated with the Gregorian date of 22 March every year, except in the Gregorian leap years when it begins from 21 March. Lunisolar Shalivahana Saka is widely used in southern and western India for many religious and some secular purposes such as sowing and agriculture.