Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v1.c17.s2.5

v1.c17.s2.5

Neglect of History by the Hindus.—The Hindus, with the decrease of intellectual power, their possession of which is evinced by their architectural remains, where just proportion and elegant mythological device are still visible, lost the relish for the beauty of truth, and adopted the monstrous in their writings as well as their edifices. But for detection and shame, matters of history would be hideously distorted even in civilized Europe; but in the East, in the moral decrepitude of ancient Asia, with no judge to condemn, no public to praise, each priestly expounder may revel in an unfettered imagination, and reckon his admirers in proportion to the mixture of the marvellous¹ [26]. Plain historical truths have long ceased to interest this artificially fed people.