Author: R N Saletore
Publisher: Sterling
Year: 1996
Language: English
Pages: 0000
ISBN/UPC (if available): 812070267686970&71
Description
This 5-volume magnum opus on Indian culture is the culmination of many years of intensive and scientific research. The work is based on original source-material in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Kannada and several other languages, indigenous and foreign.
‘The magnum opus’ on Indian culture is the culmination of many years of intensive and scientific research. The work is based on original source-material in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Kannada and several other languages, indigenous and foreign. Besides these, the other original sources are inscriptions, traditions, archaeological evidence, travelers’ archaeological evidence, travelers’ accounts, numismatics, and every the available reference pertaining to the subjects. The sources have been critically assessed in order to check their reliability and the conclusions arrived at are acceptable to the reader with an inquiring mind. This highly specialized study is not a mere catalogue of borrowed or generalized statements. Every statement is authenticated, its source indicated for further verification, if necessary. Another significant feature of this work is that each topic is examined from three angles – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Relevant references are made, though briefly, to the contributions of Muslim culture. The period covered is from the earliest times to the 19th century.
The items are alphabetically arranged in order to facilitate easy reference, both for the scholar and the layman alike. In the interest of further study to assist the inquiring scholar and the curious general reader, at the end of every topic there are lists of relevant and reliable works, original and secondary. This is an exclusive feature, rarely found in scholarly works of this type.
This classic volume of the ears gone by should be extremely useful to scholars studying Indian Life and Culture in Indian and abroad and to all those keenly interested in a standard reference work on Indian Culture and Civilization.
REVIEWS:
‘The Encyclopedia’, the apex of Saletore’s life-work, shows his ripe scholarship. The term Indian culture is stretched pretty widely in this ‘Encyclopedia’ covering art, history, mathematics, religion, folklore, mythology and so on. It does not merely carry brief notices and bare facts; every topic selected is discussed cogently from three angles: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. They would serve as useful sources of otherwise little known pieces of information.
—The Hindustan Times
Altogether too vast an undertaking, an impossibly gargantuan task. It is a treasure-trove of information about very many aspects of Indian culture, particularly Hindu, recognizing as one must the impressive amount of scholarly research that has gone into the preparation of this scholarly work. The extensive bibliography is most useful – in fact the information he gives is carefully researched, detailed and complete.
—Sunday Statesman
The book has much to offer. The topics are arranged in alphabetical order and the essence of each has been comprehensively stated. Each topic has been provided with a select and useful bibliography.
—The Tribune
Considering the dearth of such publication Dr. Saletore’s five volume ‘Encyclopedia’ is a welcome work. The author has done this remarkable work single-handed and without financial patronage from any quarter. The book is bound to provide an invaluable, panoramic and enlightened picture of the entire field of Indian culture.
—Marg
One is happy to see with his scholarship and dedication, Dr. Saletore makes no undue demand on the reader’s indulgence. By and large, his achievement is praiseworthy. There are commendable innovations. Here we have this type of referencing, besides the bibliography. Some of the mistaken assumption of the past that have found general currency have been traced to their sources and corrected. It the layman can pick up the courage to browse here, he will be able to derive a lot of pleasure from new and piquant information about places, personages and the meandering course of cultural influences.
—The Education Quarterly