HISTORICAL GLEANINGS

The present treatise is a collection of six essays, dealing with subjects of historical importance. Most of them have been published in the Journals and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The author has revised the printed essays and verified the references. These will go at once to show that his researches have been confined to Buddhist literature, particularly that in Pill, and that his is mostly a compilation work. However thankless such a task may appear to the general reader, it has an immense value as supplying materials for Indian history, and to him, at least, it is of paramount importance. Though people talk glibly about ancient Indian history, it is those actually working in the field who can realize how uncertain the data are and how scanty the materials which have hitherto been collected. We are not to remain idle under the impression that there is no further need for the work of collection and compilation, nor should we belittle the importance of the works of those like the writer, who have honestly and assiduously been labouring hard to bring together and publish the references from a particular literature bearing upon a particular topic.