It is a known fact that iconometry is a much neglected area in India art historical research. It is mainly because it involves analysis of the data by statistics and computation. Such scientific techniques are beyond the reach of art historians. Gopala-krishnan is trained in all these disciplines and so was able to take up the challenge. Very few Indian scholars (staff of the statistics department in the Madras Christian College), an American and a Japanese scholar have done research in the field. The present book is the only one available on early Pandyan iconometry. It compliments the research of another scholar of the above Department who has worked on the iconography of the early Pāṇḍyan cave temples. A norm setting area in art historical research, its scientific results are commendable. It gives life to the proposition that there is a school of Pandyan art, earlier proposed by Susan L. Huntington.
Dr. S. Gopalakrishnan is currently working in Singapore in a scientific firm. He did Ph.D. under the guidance of Prof. Raju Kalidos during the years 1993-97. To begin with a student of mathematics, he was working as a lecturer in an Engineering College at Dindigul. He studied computer application and art history. He attended a course of lectures on art history in the Tamil University along with some students from South Africa. He also took a degree in M.A. History. A first class graduate in science and art, he was an effective scholar in his field. His academic merits enabled him to take up the challenging task of research in iconometry. The Madras Christian College team helped him very much in the analytical part of the work. A diligent scholar, he has attended several conferences in India and the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The East and West (Rome) has published one of his papers with scientific plans of the temples.
The present book, entitled 'Early Pandyan Iconometry', is the outcome of my research course in the Department of Sculpture of Tamil University of Thanjavur during the past four years. Basically a student of mathematics, I was attracted by the iconometric researches of the Madras Christian College (MCC) and approached Professor Raju Kalidos for consultation. He advised me to work on the selected theme. I approached the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) for financial assistance. A rich grant was made available for field data collection. During the past four year I undertook field work in the different parts of the south with particular attention on Tamilnadu, especially the early Pandyan cave temples.
Being a historical theme, intertwined with scientific methods of enquiry, I had to get myself trained in various disciplines. Earlier, I had taken a post graduate diploma in computer application. It stood with me in good stead for the analytical part of the book. I attended a course of lecture on iconography in the Department of Sculpture and Art History of the Tamil University to have an orientation in iconography, which is again a technical subject, involving the usage of scientific terms of the images. I also took an M.A. in History to be familiar with the historical background of the subject. All these intellectual trainings besides the statistical methods of analysis, followed by researchers in icomometry, have enabled the author to give a scientific approach to the study.
The present book on "Early Pandyan Iconometry" is the outcome of the doctoral research by Dr. S. Gopalakrishnan in the Department of Sculpture and Art History of the Tamil University of Thanjavur. Research on the iconometry of the various dynasties is a long felt desideratum. An American scholar, John F. Mosteller, and a Japanese professor, Y. Ogura, are pioneers in the field of Indian iconometry. A team of scholars of the Madras Christian College, led by the late Gift Siromony, has done lot of work on the iconometry of various dynasties of the Tamil country, particularly Pallava and Cōla.
When Gopalakrishnan approached me to do a doctoral thesis in my department, I advised him to take a degree in history and have an orientation in iconography. Readily he took up the advice, studied history by correspondence, and took an M.A. in History. He attended a course of lectures on Indian art history in our department when we were organizing a course for few South African students. Thus, Gopalakrishnan declared himself fit for conducting an investigation in art history, dealing with a technical problem that even art historians could not manage. His knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and computer application and art history enabled him to successfully complete the project and take the degree of doctor of philosophy.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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