Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c6.73

c6.73

Hitherto opinions about ancient India have been based on a study of the Veda and Vedic literature without much regard for historical tradition outside that. Historical tradition yields very different conclusions. To make the former the chief and authoritative basis of historical reconstruction is much the same as to write European history mainly from theological works—an undertaking that would not receive a moment's acceptance; yet that is how ancient India has been treated, and the results have been regarded with satisfaction. Vedic literature is not authoritative in historical matters (except where it notices contemporary matters), and conclusions drawn from it are not criteria for estimating the results yielded by historical tradition in the epics and Purāṇas. Those results are set out in the following pages and must be judged independently on their own merits. I have not drawn information from Buddhist and Jain literature, because it is of no real help: it is religious, does not deal with history any more than Vedic literature, and having diverged from the main course of Indian religion had largely lost touch with ancient tradition.