Ancient Indian Colonization In South-East Asia- The Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekward Honorarium Lecture, 1953-54 (An Old And Rare Book)

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The Baroda State Government has initiated a scheme called "The Maha raja Sayajirao Gaekwad Honorarium Lecture Series" under which an eminent scholar in any one or more of the following subjects was invited every year to deliver a series of lectures at Baroda and he was paid an honorarium of Rs. 5,000/

1. Poetry

2. Literature

3. History

4. Philosophy

5. Economics

6. Scientific Research

7. Fine Arts

8. Social Service and Social Reform

On the merger of the Baroda State with the Bombay State, the Government of Bombay under Education Department G. R. No. 9107 dated the 28th March, 1950 entrusted the management of these lectures to the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and sanctioned a special recurring grant of Rs. 5,000/- for the purpose.

Some of the eminent scholars who have delivered lectures under this series are Dr. Radhakumud Mukerjee, Dr. Rabindranath Tagore, Shri C. V. Vaidya, Shri K. Natarajana, Dewan Bahadur K. H. Dhruva, Pandit V. N. Bhatkhande, Dr. S. N. Dasgupta, Dr. Sir Shafaat Ahmed Khan, Dr. (Mrs.) Sarojini Naidu, Dr. R. K. Das, Dr. T. E. Gregory, Sir C. V. Raman, Rao Bahadur K. V. Ranga swami Iyengar, Dr. Birbal Sahani, Dr. Sir J. C. Gosh, Professor K. T. Shah and Dr. D. N. Wadia.

The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda invited Dr. R. C. Majumdar, M.A., Ph.D. to deliver lectures during the year 1953-54 and he was kind enough to accept our invitation. He delivered five lectures on "Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia" under the Chairmanship of Shrimati Hansa Mehta, the Vice-Chancellor of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, in room No. 1 of the Faculty of Arts at 5-0 p.m., from the 2nd to 6th December, 1953. On the last day the learned lecturer projected some interesting photographs of antiquities illustrating the subject of his discourses. The lectures were highly appreciated by the audience for the wealth of information and mastery of exposition.

It is hoped that these lectures will be appreciated by students as well as scholars of Ancient Indian Culture.

The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

Dated 4th November, 1955.

K. J. MAJMUDAR

At the invitation of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baro da I delivered five Lectures on December 2, 1953, and the following days in the "Sayajirao Gaekwad Honorarium Lecture" series. These lectures are now published in the form of a book as prescribed in the Sayajirao Gaekwad Honorarium Rules. Excepting the addition of footnotes, the lectures are published as they were delivered. It was obviously impossible in course of these lectures to deal with all the aspects of "Ancient Indian Colonization in South-east Asia" which formed their subject matter. I have, therefore, confined myself to a few essential aspects, and dis cussed, somewhat in detail, only a few points on which there seems to have been a great deal of misconception in the minds of many scholars. I have already dealt with the subject in several publications, mentioned in the Bibliography. In these lectures I have touched only very briefly upon many points of great importance, partly for want of space and partly because these have been dealt with in detail in my previous publications. I have made a special endeavour to take into account all the new discoveries that have taken place since the publication of my books.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the authorities of the M. S. University of Baroda for the honour they have done me by inviting me to deliver these lectures and I am also thankful to the Oriental Institute of Baroda for kindly seeing the book through the Press.

R.C. Majumdar

4 Bepin Pal Road, Calcutta-26.

7th July, 1955.