Pracyasiksasuhasini- Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Celebration Volume of The Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture (An Old and Rare Book)

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Foreword I FEEL HIGHLY HONOURED indeed to introduce this very learned and prestigious Seventy-fifth Anniversary Celebration Volume, aptly entitled Pracyasiksasuhasini, of the illustrious Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture of the University of Calcutta, which is one of the most effective agents in recovering the forgotten history of India of the ancient age full of unbounded glory. The volume has two parts. Part I is entitled 'Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture' and it has eleven well-defined and exceedingly interesting sections. Part II is titled 'Research Papers on Ancient Indian History and Culture' and it contains eighteen very illuminating articles from reputed Indian and foreign scholars. Even a cursory glance at the contents of its two parts will speak volume of the great amount of original thought and hard labour put up to make the volume worthy of the occasion and a much coveted one. In fact, this comprehensive volume has been planned to bring forth the endeavours and attainments of the Department in a work of devotion and attachment and highlight in it recent researches on some interesting aspects of the subject through the incorporation of some very learned articles. It has been edited with great dedication and meticulous care by an eminent scholar Prof. Dr. Samaresh Bandyopadhyay, who has always been very close to me both as an affectionate student and as an esteemed colleague. This, I feel extremely proud to mention. It is indeed a matter of happiness and great satisfaction on my part to find Prof. Bandyopadhyay having volunteered to undertake the arduous task of editing this volume of great worth and make it a publication of considerable attraction. Prof. Bandyopadhyay has been associated with the Department for long, first as a student (1961-1963) and then as a very helpful teacher (since 1964), and has developed a passionate attachment to it serving it with intense devotion. He has been justly accredited as an expert in editing scholarly works of immense value like the Charuchandra Chattopadhyaya Birth Centenary Volume released in 1983 by the then President of India, Giani Zail Singh, D. R. Bhandarkar Birth Centenary Volume released in 1984 by the then Prime Minister of India, Sm. Indira Gandhi, and the D. C. Sircar Commemoration Volume released in 1988 by the then Governor of West Bengal, Prof. S. Nurul Hasan. I am sure that what he is accomplishing in bringing out this volume of great value will be widely appreciated by all and the volume will serve as a model for similar type of works.

Preface THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE for Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta, at one of its meeting formed a Sub-Committee with the present writer is the Convener to formulate guidelines for the celebration, in a befitting manner, of :he Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, calculating, however, from the year of the beginning of post-graduate study for i separate M.A. degree in Ancient Indian History and Culture in the University of 2alcutta. A largely attended General Meeting held on 16-04-1994 of the past and present teachers and students of the said Department thoroughly discussed the; guidelines prepared by the said Sub-Committee and formed the C.U.A.I.H.C. 75th anniversary Celebration Executive Committee, the recommendations of which were manitinously adopted at a meeting held on 29-04-1994 of the Departmental Committee or Ancient Indian History and Culture. The decisions included (i) holding of the inaugural Ceremony of the Celebration after January 15, 1995, in order to give an opportunity to the then recently admitted First Year Students to participate in the different programmes of the Ceremony and (ii) after the Inaugural Ceremony making efforts to publish a volume, worthy of the occasion, the responsibility of editing which being placed on the shoulder of the writer of these few lines.

Thanks to the co-operation coming spontaneously from all corners, the Inaugural ceremony was very successfully organised at the Ashutosh Museum Centenary auditorium of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, on May 6 and 7, 1995, a brief account of which and the speeches delivered on the occasion by different dignitaries including he then Governor of West Bengal and Chancellor, University of Calcutta, Sri K.V. Raghunatha Reddy (Inaugurator), the Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta, Prof. )r. R. N. Basu (Patron and President), the Chief Guest Sri Prasantakumar Sur (a past student of the Department and a former Minister of West Bengal), the Special Guest Prof. Dr. Y. Vassilkov (a distinguished Russian Orientalist), etc. form the contents of Section (8) of Part I of this volume which has two parts, Part I, entitled 'Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture' and Part II, titled 'Research Papers on Ancient Indian History and Culture', containing contributions from very distinguished Scholars from different parts of India and foreign countries like Australia, Germany, 'France and U.K. Ten other sections of Part I are - (1) 'A Brief History of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture', (2) 'The Department and the Retired /ice-Chancellors', (3) 'Journal of Ancient Indian History', (4) 'Inter-University Seminars t the Department's Centre of Advanced Study', (5) 'Monthly Seminars at the Department's Centre of Advanced Study', (6) 'Lectures at the Department's Centre of advanced Study', (7) 'Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Department', (9) 'Reminiscences and Biographical Sketches/Data’,(10)’M.A. S in Ancient Indian History and Culture and (11) Doctors in Ancient Indian History and Culture.’

Book's Contents and Sample Pages