Select Contents of Oriental Journals
Summary
The article "Select Contents of Oriental Journals" summarizes a wide array of scholarly articles published in various Indian and international journals between 1954 and 1958. The subject matter spans ancient Indian history, archaeology, linguistics, religious studies, and philosophy. The main argument of the compilation is to highlight the diverse and ongoing academic research into the cultural, social, and historical dimensions of the Indian subcontinent and its broader Asian context. The evidence and sources discussed include excavations, ancient inscriptions, epigraphic records, literary texts like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and the works of classical authors. Several specific studies are detailed in the text. K. Thapar’s 1954 study on Maski reveals a Chalcolithic culture in the Southern Deccan, identifying three occupational periods from the half of the first millennium B.C. to the third century A.D. based on charcoal remains. V.S. Agrawala offers a cultural commentary on the Mahabharata by interpreting words related to social customs and religious worship, while P.K. Gope discusses the date of Sudarshanacirya between A.D. 1300 and 1600. L. Sternbach examines the correlation between the Brihaspati Smrti and the Garuda Purana. P.K. Gope also writes on the history of kite-flying between A.D. 500 and 1956. Buppha Prakash analyzes Candra Gupta Maurya in Firdausi’s Shah-nama. R.C. Hazra interprets two ancient Vedic Gathas related to the Simantonnayana ceremony. Walter Ruben discusses the beginning of the Epic Sankhya, and V.C. Misra studies the social condition of India during the Early Mediaeval Period using epigraphs and Muslim travelers' accounts. C.D. Chatterjee studies the Edict of Asoka, and Radha Krishna Choudhary discusses heretical sects in the Puranas. Other topics include Magadha chronology, the development of the Makara in architecture, the concept of Vajra in the Rgveda, and the concept of Akasa in Indian philosophy. Further articles explore the humor of the Vidushaka, the solar nature of the Virataparvan, and Gujarati letter-diagrams. Hem Chandra Ray Chaudhuri discusses ancient Indian social organization and the Varna system. P.S. Shastri writes on the nature of the universal, and Jananaka Ballabha Bhattacharya continues a study on Nyaya-maimamsi. D.L. Jesuposs studies the Four Saiva Samayachairias, and M. Shanmugam discusses the administration and politics of the Ancient Tamils as reflected in Silappatikaram. G. Dumézil and L. Renou explore Indo-Iranian names in Ossetic folklore and Paninian studies. G.H. Tupper discusses pre-Gommat Maratha elements in copper plates. U.M. Pathan and S.G. Tulpule study Persian usages in Marathi historical records, and H.D. Sankalia and S.B. Deo discuss saddle querns and stratigraphy. D.Sankalia and S.B. Deo also discuss imported Mediterranean amphorae from Kolhapur. D. Duncan M. Derrett discusses the Talavana forest in the Mahabharata to date a part of the epic between 500 A.D. and 800 A.D. S.G. Tulpule discusses Maratha elements in pre-Gommat plates, and U.M. Pathan and S.G. Tulpule again study Persian usages in Marathi records. H.D. Sankalia and S.B. Deo also discuss the Nevase site. G.V. Tarkad discusses Vanamali Mishra’s Vedanta Siddhanta Dipika. A.A.G. Bennett discusses Chinese translations of Sanskrit Buddhist literature, and Ernest C. Baptista discusses Buddhism and science. Hazarilal Prasada Dwivedi discusses controversial readings in the Sandehasataka, and Radhabali Pandey discusses problems relating to the Early Medieval Period of Indian History. Sivaprasad Sinha discusses the origin of Vrajabhasa. A.J. Karandikar attempts an astronomical interpretation of the Vedic deities Indra and Soma, and S.L. Katre discusses the date of
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
This article surveys recent scholarship in Indology and Indian history, highlighting significant advances across multiple disciplines. Archaeologically, it underscores the Chalcolithic findings at Maski, pre-Mauryan Magadhan chronology, and Mediterranean trade links evidenced by Kolhapur amphorae. Textual studies reveal new perspectives on the *Mahabharata* and *Ramayana*, including the epic’s cultural commentary and the historical identification of Chandra Gupta Maurya in Persian literature. The collection also advances linguistic and philosophical inquiries, tracing the evolution of the Maratha language, the concept of *Akasa*, and the assimilation of Vedic deities. Furthermore, it documents the social, political, and religious dynamics of early medieval India, the history of Buddhism, and comparative studies of ancient medical and cultural systems, collectively enriching the understanding of India's complex historical and cultural tapestry.