Topic Sources and Tools of Historical Reconstruction:: Class Lecture Prepared by Jamuna Subba Department of History

Class Lecture prepared by
Jamuna Subba
Department of History
TOPIC
SOURCES AND TOOLS OF HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION:

Literary and Archaeological records are the two main categories that give
evidences of Ancient Indian History.
The literary source includes literature of Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, and other
literature along with other foreign accounts.
The archaeological source includes epigraphic, numismatic, monuments and
other architectural remains. The archaeological explorations and excavations
have opened the great landscapes of new information.
INDIAN LITERARY SOURCES:
WE CAN DIVIDE THE INDIAN LITERARY SOURCES INTO THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORY:
Sources
Indigenous sources Foreign
↓
______________________________________________________
↓ ↓
Religious _________________ Secular
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Brahamanical Buddhist Jain ↓
_________________________________________________________________________
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Chronicles Biographical Grammar and Politics Dramas and poetry Scientific works
The ancient Indian literature is mostly religious in nature.
The Puranic and Epic literature are considered as history by Indians, but it
contains no definite dates for events and kingdoms. The effort of history
writing was shown by a large number of inscriptions, coins, and local
chronicles. The principles of history are preserved in the Puranas and Epics.
The Puranas and epics narrate the genealogies of kings and their
achievements. But they are not arranged in a chronological order.
The Vedic literature contains mainly the four Vedas i.e. Rigveda, Yajurveda,
Samaveda, and Atharvanaveda. The Vedic literature is in a different language
called as the Vedic language. Its vocabulary contains a wide range of meaning
and is different in grammatical usages. It has a definite mode of pronunciation
in which emphasis changes the meaning entirely. The Vedas give reliable
information about the culture and civilization of the Vedic period, but do not
reveal the political history. Six Vedangas are the important limbs of Vedas.
They were evolved for the proper understanding of the Vedas. The Vedangas
are: 1. Siksha (Phonetics)
2. Kalpa (Rituals)
3. Vyakarna (Grammar)
4. Nirukta (Etymology)
5. Chhanda (Metrics) and
6.Jyotisha (Astronomy).
Vedanga has been written in the precepts (sutra) form. This is a very precise
and exact form of expression in prose, which was developed by the scholars of
ancient India.
Ashtadhyayi (eight chapters), written by Panini, is a book on grammar that

gives excellent information on the art of writing in sutra (precepts). The later
Vedic literature includes the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads.
Brahmanas gives a description of Vedic rituals. Aranyakas and Upanishads give
speeches on different spiritual and philosophical problems.
Puranas, which are 18 in numbers give mainly historical accounts. The
Ramayana and the Mahabharata are epics of great historical importance.
The Dharmasutras and the Smritis were the rules and regulations for the
general public and the rulers. It can be equated with the constitution and the
law books of the modern concept of polity and society. For example,
Manusmriti. Dharmashastras were compiled between 600 and 200 B.C.
Arthashastra is a book on statecraft written by Kautilya during the Maurya

period. The book is divided into 15 parts dealing with different subject matters
related to polity, economy, and society. The final version of Arthashastra was
written in the 4th century B.C. Kautilya acknowledges his debt to his
predecessors in his book, which shows that there was a tradition of writing on
and teaching of statecrafts.
Mudrarakshasha is a play written by Visakha datta. It describes the society

and culture of that period.
Malavikagnimitram written by Kalidasa gives information of the reign of

Pusyamitra Sunga dynasty.
Bhasa and Sudraka are other poets who have written plays based on historical
events.
Harshacharita, written by Banabhatta, throws light on many historical facts

about which we could not have known otherwise. Vakpati wrote Gaudavaho,
based on the exploits of Yasovarman of Kanauj.
Vikramankadevacharita, written by Bilhana, describes the victories of the

later Chalukya king Vikramaditya. Some of the prominent biographical works,
which are based on the lives of the kings are: 1.Kumarapalacharita of
Jayasimha,
2.Kumarapalacharita or Dvayashraya Mahakavya of Hemachandra,

3.Hammirakavya of Nayachandra
4. Navasahasankacharita of Padmagupta
5. Bhojaprabandha of Billal
6. Priihvirajacharit of Chandbardai
Rajatarangini, written by Kalhana, is the best form of history writing valued by
modern historians. His critical method of historical research and impartial
treatment of the historical facts have earned him a great respect among the
modern historians.
BUDDHIST AND JAIN LITERATURES:
The Jain and the Buddhist literature had been written in Prakrit and Pali
languages. Early Jain literature is mostly written in Prakrit language. Prakrit
language was a form of Sanskrit language. Pali language was a form of Prakrit
language which was used in Magadha. Most of the early Buddhist literature is
written in Pali language. Pali language reached to Sri Lanka through some of
the Buddhist monks where it is a living language. Ashokan edicts had been
written in Pali language. Mahavira and Buddha are considered as the historical
personalities (equivalent to the God). They have created Jain and Buddhist
religious ideology respectively.
BUDDHIST LITERATURE:
Early Buddhist literature is generally divided into canonical and non-canonical

texts. Canonical texts are the books which lay down the basic tenets and
principles of a religion or sect.The various Buddhist school classify their
canonical literature in different ways, some into 9 or 12 Angas others into 3
pitakas.
There are Pali,Chinese, and Tibetan versions of the Tipitaka. The Tipitaka
consists of three books-
1.Sutta,
2.Vinaya ,
3.Abhidhamma
The Sutta pitaka contains the Buddha’s discourses on various doctrinal issues
in dialogue form.
The vinay pitaka has rules for monks and nuns f the Sangha.
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a later work,and contains a thorough study and

systemization of the teaching of the Suttapitaka through lists,summaries,and
question and answer.
The Buddhist books are called as Jataka stories. They have been given some
historical importance because they are related with the previous births of the
Buddha. There are more than 550 such stories.
Non –canonical Buddhist literature in pali includes the Milindapanha which

consists of a dialogue on various philosophical issues between king Milinda and
the monk Nagasena.
JAIN LITERATURE:
The historic information mentioned in Jaina literature also help us in

reconstructing the history of different regions of India.
The sacred books of Jains are collectively known as the Siddhanta or Agama.
The language of the earliest texts is an eastern dialect of Prakrit known as
Ardha-Magadhi. The Jains monastic order came to be divided into the
Shvetambara and Digambara schools, perhaps in about the 3rd century ce. The
Shevetambera canon includes the 12Anga, 12 Upanagas,10 Painnnas,6 Cheda
Sutta,4 Mulla sutta and number of individual texts such as the Nandi Sutta and
Anugodhra.
SANGAM LITERATURE
The earliest literature of South India is represented by a group of texts in old

Tamil, often collectively referred to a Sangam literature.A tradition recorded in
post 7th century texts speaks of three sangams or literary gathering in ancient
times.The first is supposed to have been held in Madurai for 4,440 years,the
second at Kapatapuram for 3,700 years and third in Madurai for 1,850 years.
The Sangam literature is in the form of short and long poems consisting
30,000 lines of poetry, which arranged in two main groups i.e.
Patinenkilkanakku and the Pattupattu. It describes many kings and dynasties of
South India. The Sangam was the poetic compilation by a group of poets of
different times mainly supported by chiefs and kings. The Sangam literature
was composed by a large number of poets in praise of their kings. Some kings
and events mentioned are also supported by the inscriptions. The Sangam
literature generally describes events up to the 4th century A.D.

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Class Lecture prepared by

SOURCES AND TOOLS OF HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION:

Indigenous sources Foreign

5. Chhanda (Metrics) and

Ashtadhyayi (eight chapters), written by Panini, is a book on grammar that

Arthashastra is a book on statecraft written by Kautilya during the Maurya

Mudrarakshasha is a play written by Visakha datta. It describes the society

Malavikagnimitram written by Kalidasa gives information of the reign of

Harshacharita, written by Banabhatta, throws light on many historical facts

Vikramankadevacharita, written by Bilhana, describes the victories of the

2.Kumarapalacharita or Dvayashraya Mahakavya of Hemachandra,

BUDDHIST AND JAIN LITERATURES:

Early Buddhist literature is generally divided into canonical and non-canonical

The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a later work,and contains a thorough study and

Non –canonical Buddhist literature in pali includes the Milindapanha which

The historic information mentioned in Jaina literature also help us in

The earliest literature of South India is represented by a group of texts in old

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