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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ancient India
From the philosophy of the Hindus, Buddhists and Jainas, we turn now to the social and political condition of India in ancient times.
Where shall we find the history of ancient civilization of the Hindus when they lived in village communities and social brotherhood in ancient times, centuries before the beginning of the Christian era? Have they any records of that ancient civilization? And why do the Hindus claim their ancient civilization unique in its character and superior to that of any other nation. We shall have to refer to the records of the Hindus if any exist which can claim a high antiquity.
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The Egyptians have records on their everlasting monuments of a civilization which goes beyond 3000 years before Christ. Assyrian scholars have claimed an equally remote antiquity for the Shumiro-Accadian civilization of Chaldia which is said to have flourished over a thousand years before Neniveh and Babylon were founded. The Chinese too have a history which dates from about 2400 years B.C. The Hindus also have their own records. But there is a difference between the records of the Hindus and the records of other nations. The hieroglyphic records of ancient
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