Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 01

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 40

2 / Jijñāsā
alma mater the imprints of a young and budding scholar. As the chance would have it, my father got transferred to Gorakhpur in June 1961 and I was fortunate enough to undertake my post-graduate studies in Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Gorakhpur under the aegis of Professor Pande. In November 1962, while busy preparing for my M.A. Final examination, I was at a loss to learn that having accepted an invitation from the University of Rajasthan, he was soon going to leave Gorakhpur to take-up a new assignment at Jaipur. My predicament was mitigated to an extent when I gathered courage to seek an oblique assurance from him to be my Ph.D. guide, subject to my performance in M.A. Final. Securing a first class and maintaining my first rank I earned a U.G.C. fellowship and joined research under his supervision in November 1963 for a Ph.D. degree of the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. My associations with him and my respect for his learning and wisdom grew in strength day after day and year after year ever since.
Professor Pande was born at Allahabad on 30th July 1923 in a highly educated and reputed family of Kumauni Brahmanas. He was the eldest child of his father Pt. Pitambar Dutt Pande who had begun his career as a Lecturer of Economics in the B.H.U. and had later joined the All India Audit and Accounts Service occupying highest positions in the cadre. G.C.Pande passed his Matriculation in 1937 from Punjab University, Lahore securing a first division. He passed his Intermediate examination from the U.P. Board (1940) and secured a first division and third position in the state. He did his B.A. (1942) and M.A. History (1944) from the University of Allahabad. securing first division and first position in both the examinations. He was awarded the degree of D. Phil of the University of Allahabad in 1947 on his thesis 'Studies in the Origins of Buddhism supplicated under Professor Kshetresh Chandra Chattopadhyaya. While pursuing formal courses of study he acquired a thorough knowledge of Indian classical languages, e.g.. Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit. He studied Sanskrit under the then well-known traditional and modern scholars like Pt. Raghuveer Dutt Shastri. Pt. Ram Shankar Dwivedi and Prof. K. Chattopadhyaya. He also acquired knowledge of several modern Indian languages and working knowledge of Greek, Latin, Persian, French, German, Buddhist Chinese and Tibetan. He studied Buddhist Chinese under Prof. W. Pachow.
He began his professional career in the University of Allahabad and served it from 1947 to 1957 as a Lecturer in History (including Lecturer in Nepal Chair in Asian History) and later as Reader in the Department of Ancient History. Culture and Archaeology. He was only 34 when he joined the University of Gorakhpur as a Professor and Head of Ancient History. Culture and Archaeology in July 1957. He was also the Dean Faculty of Arts between 1958 to 1961. In November 1962 he moved to Jaipur to occupy the Tagore Chair of Indian Culture in the University of Rajasthan, a newly created position by the U.G.C. in the birth centenary year of Ravindra Nath Tagore. The then Department of History, by a University Syndicate resolution, was converted into the Department of History and Indian Culture and Professor Pande was made its Head, a position he occupied till 1974. He served the University of Rajasthan also as Dean Faculty of Arts (1968-71) and Vice-Chancellor (1974-1977). In 1978 he chose to go back to his alma mater, the University of Allahabad to join as a Professor of Ancient History. Culture and Archaeology. He headed the Department between 1981 to 1983 and occupied the office of Vice-Chancellorship of Allahabad from 1983 to 1984.
After superannuating from the Allahabad University in 1984 he continued to adorn several high offices. He was visiting Professor in the Gaekwad Chair of Indian Culture and Civilization. B.H.U. Varanasi. (1984-85), first National Fellow of ICHR, New Delhi (1985-86) and Editorial Fellow