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the epic bards; but so blended with mythology were these traditions, 

 that their historical meaning was obscured, or obliterated. The only 

 memorialists were of that caste, which could not justly preserve the 

 remembrance of most of the great events determining the destiny of the 

 nation, without giving undue prominence to matters which concerned 

 classes of society, depreciated by themselves as inferior and not worthy 

 of account, and especially their chief rivals, the warrior and regal caste, 

 whose glory they would be most reluctant to celebrate. But to the 

 Buddhists the affairs of kings were of the highest moment, and as they 

 deeply sympathized in the growth of their power, even when they prev 

 sumed to sway it to their own advantage, they would be disposed to 

 treasure with the greatest care the remembrance of the events by which 

 it was obtained : and the concern they professed for the general welfare 

 of the people, would lead them to take note also of events of more general 

 interest. Hence we find, that the proper history of India opens with the 

 promulgation of Buddhism, and that every Buddhist nation has annals, 

 which have a claim to the name of history, far superior to that of the 

 epic or puranic traditions of Brahmanism."* 



This question has been carefully investigated by Mr. J. Alwis. 

 In the Introduction to his edition of a portion of Kachchayana's 

 Pali Grammar (p. xxvii.) he states: — "as the result of those 

 investigations, that, at the time when Buddhism first started into 

 existence, writing was known in Maghada, as much as painting. 

 It was practised in the time of Gautama. Buddhist doctrines 

 were conveyed to different countries by its means. Laws and 

 usages were recorded. Little children were taught to write. 

 Even women were found able to read and write. The character 



of Buddhism,' which appeared in the October number of the Calcutta Review for 

 1869 declares, "there is no greater error than to represent it [Buddhism] as a 

 Turanian revolt against Aryan supremacy. It was in its origin a purely spiritual 

 influence, and its explanation must be sought in the spiritual rather than the 

 social history of the time." 



* Journal Amor. Or. Soc. -vol. i. pp. 134-5. 



