Reviews
By Dineshchandra Sircar, Chintaharan Chakravarti, Anil Chandra Banerjee, Radha Kumud Mookerjee
Summary
Reviews is a section that evaluates recent historical and philological books. The first review analyses Benoychandra Sen’s Some Historical Aspects of the Inscriptions of Bengal (Pre-Muhammadan Epochs). Sen compiles 114 inscriptions from the Maurya to Sena periods and uses them to reconstruct Bengal’s ancient geography, political history and administrative systems. The reviewer praises Sen’s meticulous classification, lucid narrative and balanced synthesis of archaeological and historical evidence. The next review assesses Pandurang Gopal Ranade’s Marathi work on the mysterious death of Peshwa Narayan Rao. While acknowledging the author’s enthusiasm, the reviewer criticises his unbalanced approach, accusing him of misrepresenting facts and indulging in polemics against Nana Fadnavis. A translation of the Persian chronicle Sawaniḥāt-i-Mumtaẓ by Muhammad Husayn Nainar is commended for making Carnatic history accessible to English readers. An edition of the devotional poem Ārya-śataka by Appayya Dikshita, prepared by N.A. Gore with commentary by V. Raghavan, is briefly noted. V.R. Ramachandra Dikshitar’s book War in Ancient India is reviewed; the reviewer appreciates the synthesis of literary and archaeological sources but warns against accepting claims about ancient Indian firearms and aircraft without critical scrutiny. The section likely includes additional reviews on regional histories, epigraphy and linguistics, providing brief summaries and evaluations. Overall, the review section acts as an academic forum, highlighting new contributions, assessing methodologies and guiding scholars to useful resources."
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Conclusion
The reviews underscore the diversity of mid-20th-century scholarship on Indian history and linguistics. By juxtaposing rigorous epigraphic studies with more speculative works, the section encourages critical engagement. It highlights translations and editions that broaden access to sources and serves as a guide for researchers seeking reliable materials across historical subfields.