The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c6.8

v1.c6.8

The prospect thus of the historian of India is far from being promising. There is, however, no limit to human inquiry; and much may be done by diligence and industry even in fields which appear at first sight to be gloomy and forbidding. Moreover, every literature, however fabulous or mythical may be its character, has a historical value, and that of India cannot be an exception. Tales, traditions and romances, the ordinances of kings and the mandates of lawgivers, the rituals of religion and the musings of poets, must all take their tone and character from the state of society in which they are developed, and cannot but serve, imperfectly though it be, as annals of civilization. In the same [2] way, almost every monument or carved stone, every ornament or utensil, however rude, or monstrous or grotesque may be its design, bears on its face an index to the intellectual condition of some individual or community, and may be made, with proper care, to yield an acceptable contribution to the cause of history. And inasmuch as such materials are by no means wanting in this country, though they lie scattered, unknown, or neglected, covered by the shroud of dead languages, or buried under the rubbish of ages, there is yet room for hope. From their peculiar nature, such materials may be expected most in isolated places, which have been comparatively little exposed to the tide of foreign invasion. There they are least subject to external, religious, moral and social influences, and are better able to retain their original character than in the great seats of commerce where many nations constantly come into familiar contact.