"Early History of the Dekkan Down to the Mahomedan Conquest" by Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar is an influential historical work that meticulously traces the evolution of the Deccan region in India from ancient times until the advent of Muslim rule. Bhandarkar, a pioneer of Indian historical and philological studies, utilizes a range of sources including inscriptions, coins, and literary texts to construct a comprehensive narrative. The book outlines the political, cultural, and religious developments in the Deccan, detailing the rise and fall of various kingdoms such as the Satavahanas, Chalukyas, and Rashtrakutas. Through this scholarly work, Bhandarkar provides insights into the complex interactions between indigenous dynasties and external influences, significantly contributing to the understanding of this crucial period in Indian history.
Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar (1837-1925) was a pioneering Indian scholar in Oriental research and a key figure in the intellectual renaissance of 19th century India. Renowned for his deep insight into Vedic and Sanskrit studies, he made significant contributions to the understanding of Indian history and religion. His notable works include "Vaisnavism, Saivism and Minor Religious Systems," "Early History of the Dekkan," and "Report on the Search for Sanskrit Manuscripts." His rigorous scholarly methods laid the groundwork for future academic studies in Indology.
INDIA has no written history. Nothing was known till within recent times of the political condition of the country, the dynasties that ruled over the different provinces which composed it, and the great religious and social revolutions that it went through. The historical curiosity of the people was satisfied by legends. What we find of a historical nature in the literature of the country before the arrival of the Mahomedans comes to very little.
I. We have a chronicle of Kasmir called the Rajatarangini, in which, however, there is a good deal which is not supported by contemporary evidence. Now and then, a bountiful prince or minister found a poet to sing his glories; and the works thus composed, contain a good deal of historical information, though, of course, an undue praise of the patron and his ancestors is to be expected. But a few such works only have hitherto been dis-covered; and the oldest of them gives an account of a prince who lived in the first half of the seventh century. The literature of the Janinas of the Svetambara sect contains accounts mostly of the later princes of Gujarat and other noted personages. There are also similar accounts of the princes of Rajaputana. In the beginning or at the end of some Sanskrit works the names of the princes under whose patronage or in whose reign they were composed, are given; and sometimes we find a long genealogy of the family to which the particular prince belonged, with some short observation with reference to each of his ancestors. Lastly, the Puranas contain genealogies of the most powerful royal families which ascend to a higher antiquity than the works noticed hitherto.
II. But the information to be gathered from all these sources is extremely meagre; and there are many provinces on the history of which they do not throw any light. And the facts mentioned in them cannot be systematically arranged, or even chrono-logically connected, except with the assistance of other sources of information to which we shall now proceed. The invasion of Alexander the Great brought the Greeks in contact with the Hindus; and his successors in Syria kept up an intercourse with the Indian emperors for a long time. The notices of Indian persons and events contained in the writings of the Greeks, when compared with the statements occurring in the Puranas, admit, in some cases, of an easy identification; and from the known dates of the corresponding Greek persons or events, we are able to determine those of the Indian persons or events. In this manner the date of the foundation of the Maurya dynasty by Chandragupta has been determined to be about 322 B.C., and a good many other dates in Indian history have been ascertained. The writings of Chinese authors also throw a great deal of light on some periods of Indian history. Buddhism was introduced into China in the first century of the Christian era; and from time-to-time men from that country came to India as pilgrims; and some Indian Buddhists also must have found their way to China.
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