The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c4.2

c4.2

The Jātakas are most varied in their subject-matter: they consist, in part, of stories, parables or fables of animals, partly, of scenes from Indian folk-life of a cheering or edifying character. Consequently, our source is not only competent to arouse interest in the domain of the history of literature; the collection of legends is of more importance as a reservoir for materials for culture-history. Every account of the life in ancient India which will ever be written in future must take account of the Jātaka which has justly been called a thesaurus of Indian antiquities, State and private.