Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c2.37

c2.37

This is all that we can say about the chronological aspect of the Jātakas, in the present state of our knowledge. And if therefore we are still inclined to hold with old scholars like Bühler,² Fick,³ Rhys Davids⁴ and Mrs. Rhys Davids⁵ that the conditions of civilisation as reflected in the Jātakas date back in pre-Buddhist days, we may be excused by over-critical scholars.