A PEEP INTO THE EARLY HISTORY OF INDIA: From the Foundation of the Maurya Dynasty to the Downfall of the Imperial Gupta Dynasty. (322 B. C. ? circa 500 A. C.)

The author reveals that this book like his monumental contribution to the Bombay Gazetteer on the Early History of the Deccan, has become a classic of its kind. Delivered originally in Poona in the form of a lecture nineteen years ago, it subsequently appeared in the pages of the Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. It is a model of lucid writing upon what might otherwise easily become a wearisome and complicated subject, and for this reason it forms an admirable introduction to the study of the period. One of author’s objects is to call the attention of his countrymen to the necessity of using the information supplied by coins, inscriptions and archaeological remains, and the writings of foreign travellers, in reconstructing the past history of their land. As is wellknown, the science of history finds no place in orthodox Sanskrit learning, and it was not until western scholars drew attention to these matters that any steps were taken in this direction. But with the spread of modern ideas, it remains for Indian Students to take upon their own shoulders these branches of research. The book covers the period from the beginning of the Maurya dynasty to the end of the Gupta period, and in spite of its brevity is full of information and thoughtful criticism. The writer still adheres to his late date for the Kusan dynasty. This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature.