Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tanjore Vol 09

SR No.: 020234
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: P P S Shastri
Publisher: Government of Madras
Publication Year: 1930
Total Pages: 460
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 15 MB

Page 14

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•Mehta collection-all are of great and paramount importance.
The manuscripts are either on palm leaf or on paper. They are of very different value and come from very different sources. A large collection of these are recent Nagari copies of manuscripts in South Indian characters and are at least a century old.
These manuscripts are in more than eleven distinct alphabets being from all parts of India. On the whole, one may easily say that the total number of manuscripts now in this Library is likely to exceed 80,000.
A large number of original records belonging to the last reigning house of Tanjore which will be of very great importance for reconstructing the political and social history of the Mahratha rule in Southern India has recently been transferred to the care of this Library from the Civil Court by order of the Judge.
Besides these manuscripts there are also a number of books and Manuscripts in almost all the Indian and European languages and on almost all branches of human knowledge. Special mention may here be made of the books and manuscripts in Telugu, Tamil, Mahrathi and English on account of their number and importance.
Dr. Burnell issued what he modestly styled "A Classified Index to the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Palace at Tanjore," between 1878 and 1880. Between 1880 and 1918 for very nearly forty years, the Library has been the victim of many an outrage. Those who were in possession gave out on loan very many manuscripts which were never returned. And many more somehow or other, found themselves into Libraries other than at Tanjore. Dr. Burnell's Catalogue is very usful to us to trace out lost manuscripts which are never likely to come back to us. Our losses are
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