Age of Lord Buddha

There is no authoritative text of ancient times declaring definitely and directly the date of Lord Buddha. It belongs to a very ancient time. In the histories and other writings of modern times, the dates ascribed to Buddha are tentative and based on conjectures and imagination.
It is proposed to arrive at the correct date for Lord Buddha, starting with the time of th Mahabharata War in 3138 BC., and reckoning the reigns of the successive dynasties of the kings of Ayodhya (Ikshvaku dynasty) mentioned in the Puranas till we reach the "23rd king Suddhodana" of the Ikshvaku dynasty, the blessed father of "Lord Buddha".
Time of Buddha-Puranic Evidence:
The Mahabharata War...... .. .... ... ... ... ... .... 3138 B.C.
The coronation of Brihadbala’s son Brihakshna,
of Ikshvaku dynasty in the same year,after the war... ... ... 3138 B.C.
The reigns of 30 kings of the dynasty ending with Sumitra... 1504 B.C
The date of coronation of Mahapadmananda of Magadha ... ... 1634 B.C. (3138 B.C.minus 1504 B.C)

Buddha in the History of Ikshvaku Dynasty:
The list of kings of lkshvaku dynasty from 3138 B.C.. to 1634 B·C.
Brihadbala was killed in the Mahabharata war by Abhimanu. His son "Brihadkshana" became king after the war.
1. Brihadkshana, 2. Urn yaksha, 3. Vatsa vyuha,
4. Prativyoma, 5. Divakara, 6. Sahadeve,
7. Brihadasva, 8. Bhanuratha, 9. Pratitasya,
10. Supratika, 11. Marudeva, 12.Sunakshatra,
13. Kinnara, 14. Anadharaksha, 15.Suprana,
16. Amitrajith, 17. Brihadbhaja, 18. Dharmi,
19. Kritanjaya or Dhananjaya, 20. Ranamjaya, 21. Sanjaya,
22. Sakya, 23. Suddhodana, 24. Siddhartha i.e. Buddha,
25. Rahula(Son of Siddhardha), 26. Prasenajit, 27. Kahudraka,
28. Kumdaka, 29. Suratha, 30. Sumitra
These 30 kings reigned for 1504 years.


Even the Buddhist scriptures confirm that Buddha was the son of "Suddhodana".
When the world-honoured (Sakya muni) was about to attain to perfect wisdom, the Devas sang in the sky. "The son of Suddhodana having quitted his family and studied the path (of wisdom) will now in seven days become Buddha". The Pratyeka Buddha heard their words, and immediately attained to Nirvana."
(Record of Buddhist kingdoms by Fa-hien translated by James Leggie, Ed. 1886, Page 94).
It is therefore clear that Buddha was the son of king Suddhodana, the 23rd of the kings of Ikshvaku Dynasty. There will be none to dispute it.
Buddha was the contemporary of Kshemajit, Bimbisara and Ajata Satru, the 31st, the 32nd, and the 33rd kings of Magadha. The Buddhistic works say that Buddha was Seventy-two years old at the time of Ajata—Satru’s coronation. According to the Puranas Ajata-Satru’s coronation was in 1814 B.C.
"When Ajatasatru came to the throne (of Magadha) Gotama (Buddha) was seventy-two years old. but his genius Still shone bright and clear." (The Heritage of India Series_‘Gotama Buddha’ P. 70, by Kenneth T. Saunders, Edition 1922.)
"Buddha left the body in 1807 B,C., at ‘Kusinara’ owing to dysentery resultant upon an undigestable food offered to him by a devotee at the town ‘Pava’. The Buddhistic works
also say that Buddha lived for 80 years.
"Gotama was now seventy-nine years old. He continued his ministry of preaching and teaching, revisiting his favourit haunts." (Ibid.P.75.)

The following table helps to understand the contemporaneity of Buddha with the kings of the Sisunaga dynasty of Magadha.
Kings of Ikshvaku --- --- | Contemporary Magadha
dynasty. --- --- | kings.
19. Rananjaya. --- --- 28. Sisunaga .....B.C. l994--1954
20. Sanjaya. --- ... 29. Kakavarna ....B.C. 1954--1918.
21. Sakya. --- --- 30. Kshema Dharma.B.C. 1918--1892.
22. Suddhodana. --- --- 31. Kshemajit ....B.C. 1892--1852.
23. Siddhardha. ( Birth.) ............ 1887
24. Siddhardha. became Buddha ........ 1852
(During this period } -- --- 32. Bimbisara ....B.C. 1852--1814.
Buddha preached his } -- --- --- 33. Ajatasatru ...B.C. 1814--1787.
Doctrine }

1. Buddha’s brith. 1887 B.C.
2. Buddha's Remunication 1858 B.C.
3. Buddha's Penance 1858--1852 B.C.
4. Buddha's Preaching of the doctrine ... 1852--1807 B.C.

Buddha's total life period 80 years, (From 1887--1807 B.C.).

As regards the names of the contemporary Magadha kings of Buddha there is perfect concord between Buddhistic literature and modern historians.
If we rightly fix the date of the Mahabharata war (3138 B.C.) and go on adding up the periods of the reigns of the successive kings, up to the time of Buddha we come to the 19th century B.C. The western historians arbitrarily fixed the sixth century for Buddha. They have made 322 B. C. the sheet anchor of Indian Chronology, by bringing Chandragupta-Maurya of the sixteenth century B.C., to that date. This Wrong history is taught in our schools and colleges. These very historians carried their researches in the Tibatan, Chinese and Simhalese histories. We do not know what changes are made in the histories of those countries calculated to lend support to their theories.