Chronology of Gujarat

Author(s): M R Majumdar
Publisher: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Page 15

PREFACE
(i) History of the Undertaking:
The idea of compiling a Chronology of the Cultural History of Gujarat', shortly styled 'Chronology of Gujarat,' was primarily taken up by the M. S. University of Baroda, to further the cause of Historical Research in Gujarat, at the instance of Shrimati Hansaben Mehta. The publication of this Volume comes at an auspicious moment, when the new composite State of Gujarat, embracing all Gujarati-speaking people, has come into existence for the first time in its political history.
Our knowledge of the History of Gujarat is based mostly on the Bombay Gazetteer Vol. I (1896) compiled by Dr. Bhagvanlal Indraji and other scholars. Since its publication, a good deal of research work has been done in various directions throwing new light on History (political, social, economic), Art, Architecture etc. But this is not available in an easy form. Hence the chief object of this work is to make an attempt to bring all these fragments of information together. These are now sufficiently numerous and well-established (in many cases), to enable us to construct a chronological and geographical framework for the political history of Gujarat. Into this framework may be fitted the history of social and religious institutions also. The scheme thus intends to organize some of the accumulated stores of information on the subject, which will present the material in a collective form, and consequently facilitate further research in the subject.
A number of scholars have welcomed this idea of Gujarat Chronology' as, "a concrete form of stock-taking which will provide a sure foundation for the accomplishment of a comprehensive Regional History of Gujarat, and in its turn, serve as an indispensable stone in the edifice of a National History of India".-(Dr. V. S. Agravala). It is urged that such chronological aids would be necessary for the historical sketch of each region of our big country, to which details could be filled in gradually as research advances.
(ii) Scope:
The extant works on Indian Chronology-like the "Chronology of India, up to the 15th Century A.D." by Miss C. Mabel Duff (Mrs. W.R. Rickmeres) published in 1899; the "Chronology of Modern India (A.D. 1494-1894)" by Dr. James Burgess, published in 1913; Dr. L.D. Barnett's Chapter on "Chronology of India, upto the year 1200 A.D." in his book " Antiquities of India" published in 1914; and the latest "Andhra Chronology" (90 A.D.-1800 A.D.) by Sir V. Ramesham of Madras, being a chronological sketch of the Andhra or Telugu country, published in 1946-had the purpose of enumerating briefly, in order of time, mostly the historical events connected primarily with political history; whereas the present volume of "Gujarat Chronology" aims at collecting all relevant data bearing on the history and the culture of Gujarat. It is, thus, intended to be comprehensive in its scope.