Reviews

Summary

The review section of this issue appraises three important publications on Indian history and culture. The first two are monographs in the Indian Research Institute Popular Series by Bimala Churn Law: “Early Indian Culture” (Monograph I) and “Ancient India: 6th Century B.C.” (Monograph 2). Written in a concise and accessible style, these volumes aim to bring the vast field of ancient Indian history to a broad readership. “Early Indian Culture” surveys nine periods, from the prehistoric and protohistoric eras through the Vedic (early and later), Brahmanical, Pre‑Maurya, Maurya, Śuṅga, Śaka‑Śatrapa, Gupta and late mediaeval phases. It condenses a wealth of literary and archaeological evidence into a small compass and provides bibliographies and indices. The reviewer commends its industry and notes that it will serve as a useful handbook for students. The second volume, “Ancient India: 6th Century B.C.,” focuses on the geopolitical and cultural landscape on the eve of the Mauryan Empire. It describes the rise of mahājanapadas, outlines the social and economic life, discusses kingship and statecraft and analyses religious movements such as Jainism and Buddhism. The reviewer suggests that in a future edition the author might expand sections on Hindu colonisation and cultural expansion to the south and provide a more flexible chronology, but he praises the work’s clarity and its synthesis of primary sources. The third publication reviewed is Volume IV of the Rgveda‑Saṃhitā with the commentary of Sāyaṇācārya, edited by S. N. Sontakke and C. G. Kashikar and issued by the Vaidika Saṃśodhana Maṇḍala at Poona. The Rgveda is the oldest surviving Indian scripture, and this edition continues an ambitious project begun by B. G. Tilak. The reviewer notes that the editors have collated the Khila hymns (appendix hymns) and numerous manuscripts representing the Benares, Bombay‑Poona and Calcutta traditions, correcting earlier mis‑classifications of the manuscripts. The introduction surveys the materials used and their relative value, and the editors justify their reading of individual passages with reference to the commentary tradition. The reviewer observes that this edition does not materially differ from Max Müller’s nineteenth‑century edition but that it gives scholars a critical text with detailed notes. He praises the care with which the editors compare variant readings and expresses hope that the remaining Vedic texts will be similarly edited. Overall, the review section celebrates the scholarly labour behind these publications and underscores their importance for students of Indian history and philology. It conveys the reviewer’s confidence that the series inaugurated by Dr. Law and the Rgveda project will provide valuable resources for researchers and lay readers alike.