The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c3.1

c3.1

It is almost fifty years since the late Mr. Sewell published the first volume of the ‘Lists of Antiquarian Remains’ in the Madras Presidency under the orders of the Government of Madras issued in the January of the year 1881. He had already published two works, ‘A Report on the Amaravati Stupa’, and ‘A Chronological History of South India’, in the years 1880-81 on the subject to justify the Government's choice of him for this first work on the Archæological Survey of Southern India. Two years later, he published the second volume of the ‘Lists of Antiquarian Remains,’ as a mere extension of the work he was asked to undertake by the G. O. under reference. He lived for 43 years after this, and had been more or less constantly engaged in the study of subjects relating to archæology and chronology, contributing a number of papers and issuing a number of works on the subject. The most popular and perhaps best known of his works is the history of ‘A Forgotten Empire—Vijayanagar,’ published in the last year of the last century. It is this work with which his name is closely associated. The late Mr. Sewell had to read all published literature on Indian archæology and antiquities for the purpose of the Lists referred to above, and was one of a few scholars who had kept themselves in close touch with work that was going on in this particular branch ever since. As such he was among the select few, fully qualified to carry recent research work one step forward in the production of a digest of all that work in the ‘Chronological History of South India’ which is now published. He was at work on this during the last years of his life, and was at work on the manuscript almost up to the time of his death at the ripe age of 82. The work needs no commendation and will speak for itself.