Reviews and Select Contents of Oriental }oumals

Summary

The closing section of the volume consists of several critical book reviews that engage with recent scholarship on religion and history. One review examines ‘The Buddhist Conception of Spirits’, a study of the preta doctrine. The reviewer notes that the author distinguishes pretas from the more familiar notions of ghosts and emphasises that Buddhist texts describe them as suffering beings inhabiting an intermediate realm. While appreciating the book’s documentation of how local beliefs shaped Buddhist cosmology, the reviewer criticises some arbitrary categorizations and calls for closer attention to the textual sources. Another review discusses D. C. Sahu’s treatise on the origin of the Chalukya dynasty. Sahu argues that the Chalukyas were of Gurjara origin and migrated southward before establishing their kingdom in the Deccan. The reviewer finds this thesis improbable, pointing out that early records portray the Chalukyas as indigenous to the south and that the Gurjara connection is based on tenuous linguistic similarities. The review recommends a more careful evaluation of epigraphic evidence. Other notices cover works on Buddhist philosophy, the chronology of Indian dynasties and recent archaeological discoveries. Collectively, the reviews highlight the vigour of contemporary historical research while also cautioning against speculative hypotheses. The reviewers praise thorough documentation and critical methodology and urge scholars to avoid over‑reliance on limited or ambiguous evidence. In doing so, the section underscores the importance of balanced, evidence‑based scholarship in understanding India’s past.