Ayáma's inscription at Junnar are in the era founded by Nahapána on his conquest of Gujarát and the West Deccan. This era was adopted by the Western Kshatrapa successors of Nahapána and continued on their coins for nearly three centuries. [72] [The Málava Era, B.C. 56.] The question arises why should not the dates on the Western Kshatrapa coins belong to the era which under the incorrect title of the Vikrama era is now current in Gujarát and Málwa. Several recently found Málwa inscriptions almost prove that what is called the Vikrama era beginning with B.C. 56 was not started by any Vikrama, but marks the institution of the tribal constitution of the Málavas. [73] Later the era came to be called either the era of the Málava lords [74] or Málava Kála that is the era of the Málavas. About the ninth century just as the Saka era became connected with the Saliváhana of Paithan, this old Málava era became connected with the name of Vikramáditya, the great legendary king of Ujain. It might be supposed that the Málavas who gave its name to the Málava era were the kings of the country now called Málwa. But it is to be noted that no reference to the present Málwa under the name of Málavadesa occurs in any Sanskrit work or record earlier than the second century after Christ. The original Sanskrit name of the country was Avanti. It came to be called Málava from the time the Málava tribe conquered it and settled in it, just as Káthiáváda and Meváda came to be called after their Káthi and Meva or Meda conquerors. The Málavas, also called Málayas, [75] seem like the Medas to be a foreign tribe, which, passing through Upper India conquered and settled in Central India during the first century before Christ. The mention in the Mudrárákshasa [76] of a Málaya king among five Upper Indian kings shows that in the time of the Mauryas (B.C. 300) a Málaya kingdom existed in Upper India which after the decline of Maurya supremacy spread to Central India. By Nahapána's time the Málavas seem to have moved eastwards towards Jaipur, as Ushavadáta defeated them in the neighbourhood of the Pushkar lake: but the fact that the country round Ujain was still known to Rudradáman as Avanti, shows that the Málavas had not yet (A.D. 150) entered the district now known as Málava. This settlement and the change of name from Avanti to Málava probably took place in the weakness of the Kshatrapas towards the end of the third century A.D. When they established their sway in Central India these Málavas or Málayas like the ancient Yaudheyas (B.C. 100) and the Káthis till recent times (A.D. 1818) seem to have had a democratic constitution. [77] Their political system seems to have proved unsuited to the conditions of a settled community. To put an end to dissensions the Málava tribe appears to have framed what the Mandasor inscription terms a sthiti or constitution in honour of which they began a new era. [78] It may be asked, Why may not Nahapána have