Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c10.20

c10.20

The lack of the historical sense, especially among brahmans, while on the one hand it failed to compose genuine history or fabricated incorrect stories and fables, on the other hand has been of valuable service in that it often neglected to revise or harmonize historical tradition. Positively it was a defect, negatively it was often a safeguard, with the result that the Puranic brahmans preserved a large mass of kṣatriya and popular tradition, which was inconsistent with brahmanic stories and tenets, and the bearing of which thereon they did not perceive. Thus not seldom they unconsciously passed on traditions which are a check on brahmanic statements and often refute much of them. When we seek for explanations of the lack, differences of opinion arise. It was not for want of history. There were plenty of historical events in the earliest times (p. 3).