Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 106

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
I MAY, 1930
Divisiops: Administration ; Weights, measures, cavanni (4 ands), which still beari, the old prohis coinage and rate of interest ; Prices ; Population of toric ratio to the paied (pana), vig., as 16 to 1. the country; Landowning clance; and Labouring We believe he is the first to have made a considclasses. Under each of these heads Dr. Pran Nath ered, if but conjectural, estimate of the probable propounds fresh suggestions that will command population of the 84 countries comprised in ancient the attention of earnest oriental scholars, whose India, and the evidential data requisitioned for this aim is to establish the true interpretation of many purpose have been utilized with much ingenuity. hitherto ambiguous or doubtful terms and racertain In his chapter on the landowning classes Dr. the actual social and political conditions of those ! Pran Nath exposes the misconceptions resulting early days, as distinguished from the holstering from the loose translation of the terms admanta, up of theories, whether fanciful or idealistic. He rdjan, etc., by 'king,' and he adduces grounds for has mised several questions of basic importance regarding the social organization of ancient India as for the interpretation of the old texts, of which similar in many aspects to the feudal systein per only a few can be noticed here.
taining in Europe in the medieval age: He is A difficulty has long been felt in reconciling with evidently not enamoured of the theories that aim facts the figures given by Heüan Teang in reepectat interpreting such terms as gana as signifying of countries and towns, hitherto interpreted as a republican form of government. meaning circumference or circuit. Dr. Pran | The monograph ovinces a remarkable power of Nath suggests that we should understand the pilgrim collating and assimilating evidence culled from a as rocording the superficial areas and he draws
great variety of sources and, what are perhaps
its most laudable features, a freedom from preconremarkable parallel between the figuree given
ceived theories and a determination to direct by the pilgrim and thosecontained in the Bdrhaspatya- research along its proper lines, towards the artha-ddatra. He then takes up the question of the ascertainment of facts. Work like this is of real value, real meaning of grama as used in the ancient records,
C.E.A.W.O. and he comes to the conclusion, for cogent reasons, THE ORIGIN OF SAIVISM AND ITS HISTORY IN THE *hat must, we feel, ecm end themselves to most TAMIL LAND, by K. R. SUBRAMANIAN, M.A., mpartial thinkers, that the term originally meant 91 x64 in.; pp. 82. Madras, 1929. n'estate' or fiscal village, the territorial unit
This is a revised edition of a thesis accepted by the in fact for the purpose of revenue asherement. University of Madras for the Sankara Parvathy Iue interpretation of janapada 'as an administrative prize. It is divided into four parte. Part I deals territorial division only will not be welcome to those with the NAgns and their traces in various parts of who prefer to regard it as resseeenting a constitu- India, the evolution of the "Någa cult." and the tional body. Dr. Pran Nath is disposed to hold
meaning of the linga ; Part II is devoted to the that each desa (country) was subdivided into jana- traces and influences of Buddhism and Jainism in
padas, each janapada into ganas (modern parganas), the Tamil country ; Part III to the Tamil temples; and each gana into grámas. He is led by the
and Part IV to the growth of sectarianism and the researches cutlined in the first two chapters to sus
dates of Sambandhar, Sundarar and others. A pect that some form of survey of culturable lands
variety of subjects thus come under notice, and we had been carried out in ancient times, a view which
confess to feeling some difficulty in following the seeme to find support from other sources. Dr. thread of the author's argument as to the origin of Prap Nath' investigations into the weights and saivism. The conclusion which we are led to form measures, coinage, rate of interest and prices of is that saivism was non." Aryan" in origin, being food-stuffs disclose profound research and much an outgrowth from the cult of the Någas, who, acumen. His conclusions go to show that while whether the name refers back to their totem, the in the previous centuries the variation had been snake, or to their old association with "hill and slow, an erojmous jise in prices occurred between cave,' were certainly not " Aryan." It is interesting the time of the Artha-odstra and the tenth or to note that Mr. Subramanian is convinced and eleventh century A.D., which he ascribes to the recent research fully justifies the conviction that rapid change in econcmic conditions when the conti- primitive Indian society was of a matriarchal characnent became widely convuleed by inroads and ter, and that most of the spirits to be propitiated invasions from the north-west and west. To this were female. Ho rightly draws attention in this CHUBO may be added, perhaps, the intercourse connexion to the significant fact that, with fow that had developed by sea with distant countries exceptions, the village deities of India are goddesses. both to the west and east of India. He shows He considers that the phallic cult could not have that the Muhammadan conquerors of the land flourished in the matriarchal stage, when the takicult based their coinage as well as their territorial and was dominant, and that it "imposed itself on the latfiscal divisions- upon the systems already in force, ter with the suppression of the female and the evolu. and how the British Government have also followed tion of patriarchal life. It was closely connected with in the same footsteps in adopting the ancient pana Ancestor-worship and the Snake-cnh." We could under the name of paied and the dei pano or dam have wished, however, that some further light might as the double pice' (takd), and how the ancient have been thrown upon the evolution of Bivs himself. silver kdrapana is represented by the modern
C. E. A. W.O.