World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 599

region properly. In other words, we will say that the data thus obtained are to be related with the culture or cultures in which the name is found. Then only one can claim to have followed the grammer of the name correctly. Several factors for determining names
Thus, each name, be it of an individual, a location, a locality, an area, a town, has some foundation that has linkage with hostorical background, culture religion, customs and even whims and fancies. A name of a place is determined by several factors such as socio-economic, historic, religious, cultural, geographical, environmental, regional etc, that basically involve the changes of the names of the places. Sometimes, rulers, emperors, conquerors, colonialsand political leaders of different shades would be tempted to find new places or give new names to existing places.. Thus, each place name is a world in its own right and feelings.
Place names have the potential to find out the mentle state of the people concerned. They also play an important role in moulding the character and culture of masses. They do indicate the relations between cultures, their mutual obligations and influences; attempt to revival, reform and innovation. Even though it is a pity that such an important discipline has so long been neglected.
It is our all time experience that the human tendency of pronouncing and spelling the names according to their own convinience and knowledge, which result into frequent changes. Form the study of the Survey of India Maps and Atlases and Various other pultications; it is often seen that even within a State itself certain places are referred to differently even within same local language.
Other disciplines for place name study
Historical geography is another discipline in which historians are normally interested. It seems that generally epigraphs are of great help in understanding the historical geographical of a given area, but the place name study linckr many issues which otherwise cannot be analysed, interpreted and understood. This requires extensive fieldwork. unfortunately, hardships across the field-work make young scholars shy of undertaking it.
Though toponomy along with topography is an independent discipline with its own methodology, approach, fieldwork and interpretation, its main theme or the goal or the object is the man or social, or civilisation of which it forms an indivisible part. Thus it is civilizational or social history with altogether a different setting with emphasis on place name. Hence, toponomy is regarded as the fossilised behavior of a people
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