Sambodhi 1976 Vol 05

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 45

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Some Problems of Indion History and Culture by Dr. D C. Sircar, Pub. BJ Institute of Learning and Research, Ahmedabad, 1974, p 63, Rs. 7-50
Dr D C Sircar, an erudite scholar in Ancient Indian History and Culture, has ably dealt with some problems of Indian History with his sufficient critical acumen in his three lectures on "Pressure on the Historical Approach", "The Dasa-Dasyu of the Rgveda" and "Pitfalls in the study of Early Indian Society", delivered at the BJ Institute of Learning and Research, Ahemedabad, ou the 9th, 10th and 11th December, 1972 In his first lecture on "Pressure on the Historical Approach" he has put an emphasis on the objective approach to history as defined by Kalhana, the author of Rajatarangini and explained by H S. Williams in the Historians' History of the world and pointed out that the desire to be free from prejudices in evaluting the evidence is the key note of one's approach to bistorical criticism and the desire to maintain human interest is "the key note of one's conception of historical composition" Next he has dwelt on (1) the pressure of lack of sufficient critical acumen in certain Indian writings which opine that everything Indian is good and original, etc (2) the pressure of regional patriotism of some Indian scholars, (3) the pressure of a kind of dogmatic and uncritical approach of some Indian historians under the influence of a new conception of history based on socio-economic approach to historiography with the growth of communism and (4) the political pressure from some quarters on the historical approach, He bas concluded his first lecture with the remark that truth, the basis of history, must be told without wounding the feelings of a group of people as far as practicable
In his second lecture on "The Dasa-Dasyu of the Rgveda" Dr. Sircar has brilliantly treated the topic on the basis of their linguistic and cultural features. In his opinion the Dasa-Dasyu might have been the Austric speaking pre-Dravidian proto-Australoid tribes whom the Aryans met in the Punjab after their advent into India The Panis, the Dasa, the Dasyus, the Asuras, the Sudras and the Rakgaaas mentioned in the Vedic literature were the representatives of the Non-Aryans. It appears that there took place a racial and cultural synthesis between the Aryans and the culturally advanced tribes of the group leading to the development of the composite SOCIO-religious life of the Brahmanical Hindus in the later period,
In his third lecture on "Pitfalls in the Study of Early Indian Society" the learned historian has pointed out the difficulties in writing a social history of India, in the light of his criticism of the work of the late Dr. N. C. Banerjee, "Mauryayuger Bharatiya Samaja", written on the basis of the evidences of the Arthabastra of Kautilya, such as, the determination of the date and place of composition of any particular work, location of