Select Contents of Oriental Journals

Summary

This recurring feature summarises noteworthy articles published in various oriental journals during the previous year. The section begins with extracts from The Indian Antiquary, noting Sir Aurel Stein’s defence of General Cunningham’s thesis that Alexander the Great crossed the river Jhelum at Jalalpur, and Longhurst’s archaeological report on the Great Stupa at Nāgārjunakoṇḍa, which includes plans and relic descriptions. Other entries mention C. V. Subrahmanyam’s papers on Tiruvalluvar and his Kuṟal, exploring myths surrounding the Tamil poet’s life and evaluating the poem’s ethical and linguistic significance. An article by M. Doraswamyya discusses newly found manuscripts of the Jānakīharaṇa and provides additional verses, shedding light on the text’s transmission. A. Padmanabhaiah contributes on Early Dravidian Races, examining anthropological and linguistic evidence for the antiquity of Dravidian peoples. Summaries from the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society note articles on Islamic coinage and Persian chronicles. From the Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, entries mention research on Central Asian scripts and Tibetan historical geography. Each summary briefly describes the scope and findings of the original paper and gives publication details. The section thus functions as a digest, enabling scholars to keep abreast of developments across the sprawling field of oriental studies without needing to consult every journal. Topics span ancient Indian history, epigraphy, linguistics, philology, archaeology and the study of Central and East Asian texts. By including both Indian and international journals, the feature underscores the global collaboration underpinning Indological research. It also highlights emerging themes such as the importance of regional literary traditions, new manuscript discoveries and the refinement of historical chronologies through interdisciplinary methods.