The last twenty-five years may adequately be regarded as the period of renaissance in the history of Indological Studies. A general resurgence of the spirit of nationalism became evident in India in the first decade of this century. It was not merely a political movement ; indeed it proved to be a veritable source of inspiration for the revival of the whole cultural life of this country on national basis. Indians began to take special interest in the ancient history and culture of their mother-land. Work of first-rate importance had been done-and was still being done-in that field by many a worthy savant of the West. But there gradually came up- on Indian scholars a feeling that they could till the soil which they owned more fruitfully than foreigners. They therefore applied themselves to Indic Studies with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. This time they approached these subjects neither with the blind faith of orthodox Indians nor with the disparaging attitude exhibited by some Europeans, but in a scientific spirit which they had acquired and assimilated, to a considerable extent, through Western education. Their inspiration came from within while the methods, which they adopted, were generally borrowed from without.
The external results of this impetus could be clearly seen in the establishment of faculties of Oriental Studies in the Indian Universities, in the foundation of Institutions devoted to Oriental research, in the starting of journals for the same purpose, and in many such academic movements. In 1919 the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute inaugurated the All-India Oriental Conference, which, since then, has been regularly holding its sessions every two years and which has now definitely established itself as a common meeting ground for the workers in this branch of learning. The work done in the field of Indology during the last quarter of a century is thus the result of the labours of Indian as well as Western scholars.
The usefulness of a retrospect of the work, which has already been done in the field of Oriental research, to a student of the subject is quite patent. Apart from being a source of inspiration, it would show where we actually stand today and what we have still to achieve.
I considered the Silver Jubilee of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute to be the most suitable occasion to undertake a survey of the progress made in Indic Studies, in India and outside, during the last twenty-five years. Accordingly I requested several scholars to collaborate with me, and I take this opportunity of expressing my heart-felt gratitude to all of them for their willing response. Without their kind co-operation this work would have been impossible. According to the original plan, Dr. S. M. H. Nainar of the University of Madras had kindly undertaken to make a resume of Islamic Studies; but owing to some unforeseen circumstances he could not complete it. It was then too late to entrust the work to any other scholar. I therefore apologise to the readers for having to leave this ‘Survey’ incomplete to that extent.
My sincere thanks are due to Dr. V. S. Sukthankar, Dr. S. M. Katre, and Mr. P. K. Gode who have helped me throughout the preparation of this volume. I have also to thank Mr. G. N. Shrigondekar of the Publication Department of the Bhandarkar O. R. Institute and the Manager of the Aryabhushan Press, who relieved me of much of the technical work in connection with this publication.
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