Reviews
By P. C. Bagchi
Summary
The review section evaluates recent scholarly publications across several fields of Indian history and epigraphy. The first review discusses Important Inscriptions from the Baroda State, Volume II: Muslim Inscriptions, edited by G. Yazdani and R. G. Gyani. The volume presents twelve Muslim epigraphs from Baroda, mostly in Persian or Arabic, with two bilingual inscriptions also rendered in Sanskrit. The editors provide transcriptions, translations and photographic plates. Noteworthy among the inscriptions is the Karakhadi stone inscription of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1340), which records the construction of a mosque and well at Karakhadi village. The Sanskrit portion of the inscription is more complete than the Persian text and contains details about local officials and dates, though there are inconsistencies between the Persian and Sanskrit chronologies. Other significant records include the Haji Pir Kirmani shrine inscription (1376), the Navakhi Vav stone inscription (1405) mentioning Zafar Khan and Malik Adam, the Pattan Gumda mosque inscription (1542) referring to Sultan Nasiruddin Muhammad Shah III of Gujarat, the Kadi Fort wall inscription (1609) naming the Mughal viceroy Murtaza Khan Bukhari, and the Vadnagar Arjun Bari gate inscription (1633), which contains verses in Western Hindi written in both Persian and Devanagari scripts. The reviewer praises the editors for making these inscriptions available but notes typographical errors, inconsistent transliteration and occasional omissions in the accompanying texts. The second review covers the Paramasamhita of the Pañcaratra, edited and translated into English with an introduction by Rajasevasakta Dewan Bahadur Dr. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar as part of Gaekwad’s Oriental Series. This text, a key Pañcaratra manual, is presented in Roman script with a lengthy introduction and an English translation, enhancing its accessibility for scholars of Vaishnava ritual. The third review considers the Samortarchanadhikarana (Atri-Samhita), an Atri-Samhita text edited by P. Raghunatha Chakravarti for the Vaikhanasa Agama. The reviewer summarises the content and notes its importance for understanding Vaikhanasa rituals. Additional reviews in the section (not described in the excerpt) likely evaluate other recent editions of Sanskrit texts and epigraphic compilations. Overall, the review section highlights the ongoing publication of primary sources and ritual manuals, commends editors for bringing new material to light, and encourages attention to accuracy and consistent methodology in such work.
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Conclusion
The review section underscores the value of newly published inscriptions and ritual manuals for historians of India. The Baroda State volume enriches the corpus of Muslim epigraphy, offering bilingual inscriptions that illuminate the administrative and religious history of Gujarat between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. The reviewer notes minor editorial lapses but overall welcomes the contribution. The edition and translation of the Paramasamhita and the publication of the Samortarchanadhikarana further enhance access to Vaishnava and Vaikhanasa ritual texts. Collectively, these works expand the primary material available for scholars and reinforce the need for careful editing and consistent transliteration.