Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c6.7

c6.7

Ancient India has bequeathed to us no historical works. ‘History is the one weak spot in Indian literature. It is, in fact, non-existent. The total lack of the historical sense is so characteristic, that the whole course of Sanskrit literature is darkened by the shadow of this defect, suffering as it does from an entire absence of exact chronology.’¹ This is especially true of the brahmanic literature, for it has been truly said, ‘That the Vedic texts, the Saṃhitās and the Brāhmaṇas, are not books of historical purpose is notorious,’ nor do they deal with history.²