$&b. =*=*=gær- ur Cambridge Upivcrsity Library by Colebrooke, Wilson and their worthy successors, and thus imako genetally “available to European Scholars, the authentic documents for Indian literary resourch,” I made an appeal chiefly to scorch out as much of manuscripts and texts in India as possible in order to prescut then to the Chief Universities of Germany where the intest distinguished Sanskritists of Europe deliver their Lectiu est. A1id it apports to me that neither of the appeals “otti, be usude more appropriately. Professor Weber's appeal to “the hundreds and thousands of English gentlemen who have spent a large pari, of fb ir lives in what one often hears called ‘the most splendid service in the world', in favour of the " Sanskrit Text Fund" as he would propose it, carries its to runnent in itself. He has furtiter the kind૫. to add the following “Sometime ago l)r. W. W. IIatter in a couple of Lectures svst foi ii, an attractive inaum«r ' what Englurid had drne for Judia haut I tvin sare Dr. Ilunter" would be the last man on the attorld to deny the obligations of the British motion towards India and the duties and the interest of the British foot'erainent in regurd to Inding res i rek.” The italics are mine.) What these wood, and the others quoted above say in তত্ত্ববোধিনী পত্রিক। | | serving of the name of History. *What we want is a History of India as the Greeks have a History of Greece and the Italians a History of Italy. It is probable that a His tory of India in that sense might be attended with far greater difficulties so that we might be obliged at times to give up the task in despair; yet "nil despararis ? and “ auch hier wird es tagen !" are ,η Αiank 1 ، ، ه" وحامb4 wمصnدأ f A، همه هيجي مياه Litteratur Geschichte”! Already we have received quite unexpected light on India BS she was between the 5th and the 10th {*{侬turies of the Christian era from the tra \l8 of the Chinese Pilgrims, not to say any thing of what we have known of her more ancient and glorious days through the well known works of the Greek Sophists and diplomatists. A more diligent search through the vast domain of Arabian Literature as it developed and expanded itself from Bugdad to Cordova might tell us more than what we are hitherto aware of from Albiruni and a very few Arab Physicians and Astronomers. Who knows what we might yet know about our past History—especially about our Chro nology which is so extremely fantastic in our “ vavir of his հppՐal is much l'Il (; I'ê than all : th.' I might dilate on the subject. To f r e out oli palm-Jeaf texts and manuscripts, none cold b, mori, successful than the Hindus ih nordves, nene could contribute more to iwiia, t'bilology with comparatively mucb les$ trouble and expense Quite other days shall down on the study of Indian Antiquities when the Hindus the uselves shall take up this tash w lét h i so particularly their own. We alre, y see the very reliable results which ii;v c iur, aut froy (he “ finds” of Dr. tajandra ala, timd I)r. Rajondra Lalas only one of notأسس معnر برنا أis it n0 more ilian half-a-dozen Natives who have hitherto Reriously set their heart on the subject, And this in a population of 250 millions Or of 200 millions, at auy rate, if you will only take the Hindus ! It is therefore high time to take prompt and energetic measurestorouse up our countrymen to a sexist of what they owe to the glorious Past of their country. It is not enough only to have soule dim uncertain and traditional ideas about it; so little de
- Japanese (vide Professor Max Muller's “
traditional books- from the Chinese, the Sanskrit Manuscripts in Japan" in the last J) 11」以" ber of the journal of the Royal Asiatic Society) the Burmese and the Siamese ? Who knows what revelations might yet light on us from a more intimate study of the ancicut arrow-headed rook inscriptions of Persia and Assyria as well as of the hieroglyphics of Egypt? In Petersburgh I have had once occasion to talk with an emiment Chinese Scholar who was of opinion that the Astronomical Tables and the Mathcmatical figures—a great part of what the Chinese had in Philosophy, Morals, Religion and Science woro derived from India. He thereupon showed me for instance a Chinese Astronomical Table with 12 figures which I immediately recognised as the very well-known one found in our Navadwipa Panjika and even in any of our ordinary Battula Panjikast At the same time. I have heard German Egyptlogues, say how they were struck with the similarities that existed between the religious rites and cere. monies of the ancient Egyptians and the
