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JUNE, 1927 ]
BOOK-XOTICES
119
BARHUT INSCRIPTIONS, edited and translated with nineteenth centuries. These later schools, and
critical notes by BENIMADHAB BARNA and the later Mughal paintings also serve to corroborate KUMAR GANGANANDA SINEA. Published by the the dictum of Mr. Percy Brown that so long as University of Calcutta, 1926.
Jahangir lived, he was the soul and spirit of Mughal In the preface the authors of this learned work
art, and that after his death an immediato and claim to have re-arranged the inscriptions on the
perceptible decline set in. Even the paintings eastern gateway, inner railing, and fragments of the
of Shah Jahan's reign are marked by a certain Buddhist Stupa at Barhut in such a manner that
feature of over-ripeness, which is the sure sign of the system underlying them and their real signi.
deterioration. Of the various plates we cannot ficance are more clearly disclosed. They have
speak too highly, and special attention may be divided the inscriptions into two main groups, styled
drawn to the reproductions of the fine fresco of Votive Labels and Jataka Labels, the former being
Ardhanarishuar, of the picture Vasanta Vildsa,
which illustrates the dress of the period, of Abul grouped as they occur on the various parts of the Stupa and the latter by scenes in consonance with
Hassan's bullock-cart, and Ustad Salivahana's the accepted J&take outlines of the Buddha's life. painted epistle. Equally attractive are & portrait Each inscription is accompanied by an English of Jahangir in later life, and Govardhana's study rendering and an explanatory noto. The notes of a woman. Among the examples of Hindu are weli compiled and deal fully with doubtful
mpiled and deal fully with doubtful painting of a later age must be mentioned the Jaipur points, as for examplo that on nigama on page 34,
picture of the Rasa mandala, an admirable equesthe note on Jätaks Label No. 7 at pp. 42 to 44, the
trian portrait of Rao Shatrujit of Datia, and samples noto on pp. 49-52, and so forth. The commentary
of Mânaku's skill. on Vidura, mentioned in Jåtaka Label No. 30,
hal No 30. The book has been printed and published in contains some illuminating remarks on odium India, and reflects great credit on everyone author, theologicum as displayed by the Brahmins. The printer and publisher--who has contributed to third section of this scholarly publication is devoted its production. to appendices on the paleography and language
S. M. EDWARDES. of the inscriptions, and on the names and epithets,
STUDIES IN THE LAND REVENUE HISTORY OF as well as on the localities mentioned in them. The
BENGAL, 1769-1787, by R. B. RAMSBOTHAM, book is a worthy addition to the publications of the
Indian Educational Service. Oxford University Calcutta University. .
Press, 1926. S. M. EDWARDES.
For students of the administrative history of STUDIES IN INDIAN PAINTING, by NÂNÂLÂL CHA: Bengel in the days of the East India Company this
MANLÄL MEHTA, Indian Civil Service, with 17 un pretentions and well-documented work should dolour plates and 44 half-tone plates. D. B. prove extremely valuable. If deals with two very Taraporevala Sons and Co., Bombay, 1926. important records of the eighteenth century,--the
In his Foreword the author of this attractive Amini Report of 1778, a large part of which is in work declares that his object has been to bring cluded in the second volume of Harington's analysis together new material for the study of Indian of the Laws and Regulations of the Governor. painting, and there can be no question that ho General in Council, published at Calcutta in 1805, has successfully achieved his object. He presents and sacondly the Report on the Office of Kanungo
amples of the famous Pallava of 1787, which has never yet been published in frescoes of Sittannavasal, nine miles north-west of accessible form. More than half the book is occuPudukotta, which are ascribed to the reign of the pied by an illuminating note on the history and Accomplished Pallava ruler Mahendra varma I (A.D. circumstances of the Company's revenue-adminis. 600-625), and then introduces us to various examples i tration of Bengal, and this is followed by a verbatim of Hindu secular painting in mediaeval Cujarat, reproduction of the Amini Report itself. which Mr. which included a large portion of modern Raj. Ramsbotham describes as the first technical and putana. This style of painting has usually been professional explanation of the system employed
probably because Jainism formed in collecting the land rovenue of Bengal that was the motif of many of the artists; but, as the author, placed before the Company." The author reminds Mr. N. C. Mehta, points out, this style of painting us that after the death of Alivardi Khan the provinces
ndigenous in Gujarat from the twelfth to of Bengal lapsed into a state of chaos, the actual the fifteenth centuries, and should be more correct. I survival of any administrative system at all being ly styled "Hindu."
due to the Oriental custom which permitted most The book contains several excellent examples Government offices to become hereditary. The of the Mughal school, including pictures by Abul public services were in fact converted into a craft, Hassan, Mansur and Bishandas, and concludes of which the knowledge was confined to selected with chapters on the Court art of Tehri-Garhwal families from whom alone recruitment could take and other Hindu painting of the eighteenth and place for subordinato administrative offices. Thus
