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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[AUGUST, 1925
which is the object of the Conference, surveyed rapidly all the important contributions to our knowledge of the history of civilisation. His Excellency emphasized the need, in these days of hurry and bustle, " to turn from the present day world, and in imagination to throw our minds back to a world of generations long ago, and to cogitate on ancient writings and ancient inscriptions, ancient architecture and ancient schools of thought" and referred to the connection of India with other countries in the past and to the ample scope offered for research. His Excellency pointed out how the recent excavations of Mohenjo Daro have opened a new vista, and referred to the great names in historical and archeological researche. In conclusion, His Excellency said, "one could roam at length down these fascinating bypaths, each leading on into another and affording glimpses of romantic and historical views which urge one on; but you are all far better acquainted than I am with the journey and I must ask your indulgence for having as an amateur, though may I say, an enthusiastic amateur, attached myself to so distinguished a band of travellers. May the result of your labours be an addition to that sum of knowledge, to which your distinguished predecessors to whom I have alluded to-day so greatly contributed."
Then Sir P. S. Sivaswami Aiyar proposed Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Ganganath Jha, ViceChancellor of the Allahabad University, to the chair with Shamsu'l-Ulema Dr. Modi seconding. The learned Doctor took the chair amidst applause and delivered his addres and made many practical suggestions. He deplored the fact that Oriental research has not received the attention it deserved in this country and emphasised the need for a central organisation, a little public sympathy, and University patriotism. For the proper interpretation of India's past history, we in India have certain facilities, which foreign Indologists with the best of motives and the greatest sympathy have not. It is not true that Indians, by nature, lack critical faculty, as is sometimes urged. The President alluded to various examples of high critical acumen exhibited by the great Indian thinkers, like Patanjali of old and the modern Vaiyakâranikas and Naiyâyikas. He urged "it is high time that our universities and institutes shook themselves free from the notion that they could not carry on Oriental research."
Turning to the question of Manuscripts he said it was criminal to neglect them any longer. The ancient history of our land, political, religious, and military, has to be reconstructed on more logical lines than hitherto by a judicious use of Manuscripts, many of which are crumbling to pieces and are being lost every day, never to be recovered again. Incalculable good would result to Oriental scholarship, if only the various provincial governments could make up their minds to spend the paltry sum of a lakh of rupees among them. He emphasized not only the need for acquiring Manuscripts by purchase or by transcription, but also the need for their preservation. Mere cataloguing, good in its own way, does not go far. What is true of Sanskrit literature, in this direction, is true of Arabic, Persian and Vernacular literature. The scope for research is unlimited, as the President pointed out. "The exploration of the single site of Pataliputra has shown what treasure may come to light by such exploration, and the sites of most of our ancient capitals have still to be investigated. Has not the mere digging of a site in Sindh provided information, which bids fair to revolutionise all modern conceptions regarding the antiquity of Indian civilization. Then again, meteorology has not even been attempted, and astronomy has been barely touched. Similarly, medicine, and che. mistry have been worked just enough to become inviting subjects of research. In law very little has been done. Dramaturgy and poetics in general have just begun to be studied. In philosophy much has been done. But very much more remains. In Nydya-Vaisesika and in Purva Mimâmsa all that we have done has been pure spade work; in the domain of the Kashmirian Saiva Philosophy, even spade work has not been done on the inter-relations of the several philosophical systems: there are many inviting problems still unsolved. In fact,
