Lectures on Ancient Indian Numismatics (Carmichael Lectures, 1921) c2: Preface
Lectures on Ancient Indian Numismatics (Carmichael Lectures, 1921) c2
- Language
- English
Preface
c2.1
In 1918, thanks to the President of the Post-Graduate Council in Arts, a course in Ancient Indian History and Culture was introduced for the M.A. degree of the Calcutta University, and various lecturers were appointed to teach the various subjects falling under it. Thus a young promising scholar had been appointed to teach "Numismatics," which formed part of "Archæology," one of the Groups comprised in this course. He was placed under me for some time for being trained in the subject. He was working very hard, but just when he was fit and ready to lecture on "Numismatics," circumstances forced him to leave us. As there was none else in the University at that time who was sufficiently conversant with this subject, there was no recourse left but for me to teach it. I was therefore compelled to devote my special attention to it. I was not, however, sorry for it. For that convinced me, once again, that there was hardly any field connected with the Ancient Indian History and Culture, where research work was not possible. When I began to revise my knowledge of numismatics with the object of preparing myself to lecture to the classes, I thought that it was practically an exhausted field, containing hardly any scope for further work. Soon, however, I was undeceived, and found that even here much new and good work was possible. This work, of course, I had to do, when I was lecturing to the "Archæology" class. As some of my conclusions and points of view were thought by my friends to be interesting and worth placing before scholars, they were embodied in a course of five lectures which I delivered last cold season before the public in the University. It is these lectures that have been published in this volume, and I am glad they are now before scholars for their constructive and helpful criticism.
c2.2
The Index of this volume has been kindly prepared by Mr. Jitendranath Banerjea, M.A., who is now lecturing on "Numismatics" to the "Archæology" Class of the University. In regard to the proof-reading and the great help I required in the preparation of these Lectures, I am indebted to Babu Nanigopal Majumdar, M.A., who was my pupil some time ago and is now one of my Assistants in the University.
c2.3
D. R. B.