XVill Proceedings of the 
publication. A comparison of the divergent results obtained 
by Mr. Pargiter and Dr. Pradhan cannot but prove useful for 
the reconstruction of the political history of the pre-Mauryan 
period. It cannot thus be questioned that the Vedic and 
Post-Vedic literature, inclusive of the Pali Buddhist Canon, 
contain valuable materials for the investigation of the social, 
economic and religious history of that period; this, indeed, is 
now admitted on all hands and calls for no detailed comments 
Such then is the value of the literary source, specially for the 
pre-Mauryan period, where archeological monuments cannot 
come to our aid, though no doubt, when the latter become 
accessible, our knowledge shea further precision and becomes 
better connecte But even these records, though they have 
been judiciously ‘handled ey archzxologists. stand in need of 
examination also by the artist and the historian before they 
can be made to yield the ancient history of India. Take for 
instance the field of numismatics. So many different coins of 
different periods have been found, classified and catalogued by 
pression that whatever was possible had been achieved. But 
the moment the records are studied and handled from the histo- 
rian’s point of view, they yield many interesting results. I 
need make only a passing reference tc the ancient history - 
coinage. such as we have seen already narrated in the lecture 
delivered in 1921 by the Carmichael Professor of the Calontta 
University. Take, again, the ancient art and architecture of 
India. Vincent Smith’s ‘ History of Fine Art in India and 
Ceylon’? and Fergusson’s ‘‘ History of Indian Architecture 
are still looked upon as the standard works on the subjects. 
The authors of these publications, however, never professed to 
give exhaustive descriptions of all the types of Indian art and 
architecture; these treasures are indeed inexhaustible, and new 
specimens are brought to light year after year, thanks to the 
energy of members =e the great Archeological Survey, as also to 
the enthusiasm of private citizens. It is not for this reason 
that these pioneer ‘works were considered to be the standa 
authorities, but rather because they were taken to have ex- 
pounded the grounds and principles of Indian art and architec- 
ture. We are indebted, however, to the striking efforts made 
by Mr Havell, that we are now able to approach the subject from 
an entirely new angle of vision; the consequence is that the 
works of Fergusson and Vincent Smith are criticised as domi 
nated by the erroneous idea that the art and architecture at 
Ancient India qua art has very little to teach the world. It is 
refreshing to find that the workers of this generation have now 
commenced studying the problems of Indian art and architec- 
ture from this new point of view, which is not that of the ar- 
cheologist, but of the artist. It was only the other day that 
Dr. Stella Kramrisch delivered two courses of lectures before the 
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