THE ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

This book is a standard treatise on the Indian geography, and is an indispensable handbook for those who are interested in Indian antiquities. From the accounts of the Greeks it would appear that the ancient Indians had a very accurate knowledge of the true shape and size of their country. ‘Ancient geography’ refers here to India’s Buddhist period up to the seventh century CE, during which time Buddhism was the subcontinent’s dominant religion. First published in 1871, this detailed study covering this period was written by the author. He served as an officer in the East India Company and then went on to found and directs the Archaeological Survey of India. He had become an expert on the country’s ancient geography owing to his experience as a surveyor. In this work he draws on material ranging from the campaigns of Alexander the Great to the travels of the seventhcentury Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang, who recorded much about India’s geographical, political, religious and cultural landscape. Although this book was published as Part I, a subsequent volume on the Muslim period was never completed. First published in 1871, and so naturally some portions have become to some extent antiquated in the light of more recent knowledge. However, it has not been superseded and still remains indispensable. This 1924 edition has been edited and supplemented with the new introduction and notes by Surendranath Majumdar Sastri.