Ancient History of the Deccan c2: Introduction
Ancient History of the Deccan c2
- Language
- English
Introduction
c2.1
India may be divided into two parts, the North and the South. From the remotest times, this division has been adopted by the Indians who have given the name of Dakshiṇa (Dakshiṇāpatha) or ‘The South’ to all the Country that extends from the Narbadā to the extremity of the peninsula. In this work, we shall use the word Deccan to designate the ancient Dakshiṇa, but with this little restriction, that the three Southernmost kingdoms of Chôḷa, Chêra and Pāṇḍya, which have always remained a little isolated, shall be excluded. We shall therefore call “The Deccan” the large tract of country which is bounded on the north by the Narbadā and the Mahānadī, on the east by the Bay of Bengal, on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the south by the Nilgiri Hills and the Southern Peṇṇār (which reaches the sea near Cuddalore and which is the northern boundary of the Chôḷa country according to the poetess Auvaiyār).
c2.2
We have limited our subject in extent; let us now proceed to fix a time-limit for it. “Ancient History of the Deccan” means for us “the history of the Deccan in ancient times” and the words "ancient times" denotes the 9 centuries extending from 261 B. C, to about 610 A. D, that is to say, from Aśôka to Pulakêśin II. In fact, we have no historical document anterior to Aśôka; and so we shall begin our history from the time of this king, about 261 B. C, (the Kalinga war). On the other hand, from the time of Pulakêśin II, about 610 A. D, we have a large number of historical documents and the history of the Deccan is mostly known. It is therefore this historic period between 261 B. C, and 610 A. D, that is denoted by the words, "Deccan in Ancient times" and that we are going to study in this work.
c2.3
The only book in which we find some information on their subject is the "Bombay Gazetteer" Vol. I. Part II (1896) which contains two works: "Early History of the Deccan" by R. G. Bhandarkar and "Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts" by J. F Fleet. This book is well-known and there is no need to praise it here. But to-day it has one defect: it is twenty-five years old and during this last quarter of a century numerous discoveries have been made and "The Bombay Gazetteer" Vol. I. Part II. is not at all "up to date". Besides, this book itself does not contain, strictly speaking, the history of the Deccan in ancient times. The portion concerning the ancient times is very succinct, for, in 1896, the number of documents concerning it was small. Moreover, the Bombay Presidency does not by itself constitute the whole of the Deccan.
c2.4
We may therefore say that today the History of the Deccan is quite a new subject. The student who wishes to know what was the History of the Deccan between 261 B. C, and 610 A. D, does not know what books to consult. This history is lost in obscurity. Still it is not the documents that are wanting; for the dynasty of the Kadambas alone, we have about thirty copper-plates. We have also plenty of information about the Pallavas and the Gangas. Why then is the chronology of these dynasties so mysterious? I thought that what was wanted most at the present time was to arrange the parts and make a whole work of it; I thought that a complete and attentive study of all the documents we actually possess will throw a flood of light on the darkness, bring order out of chaos and, in short, give birth to, what we have not had up to the present, the Ancient History of the Deccan,
c2.5
Such a study is very important, as it is the history of nine glorious centuries of this large country. The documents that we have concerning the Deccan of the ancient times enable us to conclude that all this period was one of high civilisation and historical celebrity. We shall see that during the epoch of Aśôka, the Deccan was not at all uncivilised. The art of writing was known a long time before it and the inscriptions of Aśôka were read and understood very well at that time. From a military point of view, the Deccan was never more powerful than at the time of Śâtakarṇis who, without doubt, succeeded many times in vanquishing the kings of the northern countries and annexing a part of their territories, From a sculptural point of view, the Deccan, like the North, was inspired by the Greek and Roman arts and the marbles of Amarâvatî can be compared to the sculptures of Gandhara. If now we consider the monuments, the Deccan is much superior to the North. If we compare the ancient monuments of Northern and Southern India we find that the North is relatively poor. In the Deccan there is a very large number of sculptured rocks at Udayagiri, Junnar, Ellora, Nâsik, Kaṇhêri etc. And speaking only of the chief of them, which are the monuments in the north that will bear comparison with the grand Chaitya at Kârli that is equal in its dimensions to the Gothic Cathedrals, or with the monasteries of Ajaṇṭâ with their marvellous painting? There is, it is true, the great Stûpa at Sâñchi, but this monument is in Bhilsa near Deccan; it may even be considered a monument of the Deccan, since its balustrade which is the cause of all its celebrity has been sculptured, as is evident from an inscription, by the workmen of one Śâtakarṇi, that is to say, a king of the Deccan. Writing the history of the Deccan therefore means writing the history of the most remarkable monuments of India.
c2.6
If we look at a map we find that the Deccan is an immense country, almost one half of India. If we examine the monuments, we shall have the certainty that this country has enjoyed a high degree of civilisation and if we bear in mind the history of the Deccan in ancient times is the history of nine glorious centuries, we cannot conclude that this history is well worth studying and that it must come out of the almost complete obscurity in which it has remained up to the present day.
c2.7
This book is up to date as far as the documents available in India up to the end of 1919 are concerned.