The Glories of Magadha

In India, a country of enormous historical importance as it is, historical writings, in the modern sense of historiography, started only with Kalhana (12th cent), the celebrated author of Rajatarangini. Since then a considerable number of works serving the purpose of history have been written in various languages, e.g. Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi, etc. From the middle of the nineteenth century, along with the emergence of modern India, an ardent desire to know the glorious past of the motherland was felt and within a few decades rose a school of Indian scholar who wrote valuable monographs on diverse aspects of ancient Indian history and civilization. The present work is an elegant product of this school, a bold step to the above mentioned direction. It is a collection of a series of six lectures delivered at the Patna University in 1922. It deals with Magadha, major part of present Bihar, most important center of cultural, political and socio-economic mobilizations in ancient and medieval India. It played a major role in the socio-political and cultural, political and socio-economic mobilizations in ancient and medieval India. It played a major role in the socio-political and cultural life of the rest of the country. “Glories of Magadha” virtually presents the glories of the then India. In spite of his strong nationalistic impulses, the learned author has taken great pain to restrain his emotions which otherwise might have desisted him from the responsibility of a historian. He has supported his view with al available documents and at some places has carried on scholarly polemics. The work elaborately presents: Magadha as gleaned from the Vedas, Puranas, Buddhists and Jaina classics, accounts of the Greek and Chinese travelers; pre-Aryan civilization in Mithila; Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam in Magadha; rule of the dynasties like Nandas, Mauryas, Sungas, Kanvas, Andhras, Kusanas, Guptas and Palas. Muslim invasion, Rajagrha and Pataliputra; analysis of the edicts of Asoka; universities of Nalanda, Vikramasila and Odantapura. Apart from the historical importance, it will be of great use to the scholars and average students engaged in the study of the educational system in ancient and medieval India. The work is profusely illustrated and contains useful bibliography.