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PREFACE
mountain and river systems and the, 'cation and extent of countries, cities, etc. The second chapter has hecn devoted to the kings and proples who were the active factors in the make-up of the life and civilisation of ancient India. The third chapter deals with the social life ani economic conditions. Here the treatment is novel as showing how all the grigions of the people played their part as much angcial as in economic life. In the fourth chapise dealing with religion,-, the treatment may also be claimed as new in the sense that instead of taking religion as the source of inspiration for higher philosophy and ethics, I have sought to show how it was a living factor of ancient Indian civilisation. The last chapter treats of education and learning. Here my endeavour has been specially directed to the classification and description of vu'ious institutions and their founders, diverse m., nents and their promoters, together with the methods adopted and the results achieved. This kind of treatinent, as far as my informatio: goes, has not been attempted before.
The present treatise has been acopted as a thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Lerature by thr (niversity of Lucknow.
BIMALA HURN LAY :
