A Historiographical Study of South India

The volume of "A Historiographical Study of South India" is prepared with the ambition of imbibed the true spirit of historical tradition and laid the foundation for objective and secular history in the minds of young students and researcher in India.

The shackles of non historical bias in all writing flowly wore off and proper historiographical traditions were established.

First of all the Ancient history is controversial and does not stand on one opinion in all the fields of history i.e., why the controversial opinions in different fields gives development of the dynasties.

Thus the present work fulfills the Historiographical analysis which was the treatment and divisions of chapters should neither be dynastic nor regional. It should be on the basis of political consolidation and disintegration bringing our social, economical and other factors governing these phases.

The present work proposes to researches on different fields of the dynasties. It will attempt to cover historical writings on the periods from the Mouryas to the end of the Early Chalukya's period with a special emphasis on stages through which the understanding has passed in South India, pertaining to Karnataka the problems arid prospects of the cultural for investigation of scholars. The literature that has appeared is surprisingly huge and studies and researches have continued the present volume is expected to cater to the needs of researchers engaged in Historiographical studies.

Dr. Smt. S.C. Kamalapur is a double post graduate she completed her M.A. in Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy of the Karnataka University, Dharwad, and also completed M.A. in History and Archeology at the same university. She did her Ph.D., in Karnataka University Dharwad on "A Historiographical Study of Early Karnataka" based on a study of Literary sources. She commenced her career as a Lecturer and HOD of B.V.V. Sangha's S.R. Kanthi Arts, Commerce and Science College, Mudhol. At present she is serving as a associate Professor and HOD of History Department in B.V.V. Sangha's Basaveshwar Arts College Bagalakot. She Published article in various journals. She has authored three books, which were scattered in different publications.

The aim of the present work is to analyze the development of Historiography of dynasties of South India pertaining to Early Karnataka. The main thrust of the study to capture the metamorphic change in the Historiography by recent discoveries and reinterpretations of data by different Histories.

Karnataka which has a rich heritage of culture, is also a prestigious state of India from the point of view of art and architecture. By the observation of the development of historiography of different dynasties in the field of Political, Administrative, Religious, Economic and Social History of the dynasties, has been seen a basic unity, harmony and a common pattern reflected in all fields mentioned, above in early period.

When the ancient history of Karnataka of the Pre-Vijayanagar days is studied, a fairly vast account of history came to be written by Fleet and Rice in the late it will be noticed that 19th and early 20th centuries. Apart from these two pioneers, many other scholars like, R. Narasimhachary, S. Krishnaswamy Aiyngar, R. Shamasastry, K.P. Patha, M.H. Krishna, Neelakantha Shastri, S. Srikantha Shastri, K.G. Kundanagar, S.C. Nandimath, B.A. Saletore, G.S. Halappa, R.S. Panchamukhi, P.B. Desai and C. Hayavadana Rao enriched the knowledge of Karnataka history by their contributions.

Indian Historiography, in general, has passed through various stages like the colonial, imperialist, nationalist and Marxist. Now it is almost in Neo-nationalist stage. The purpose of history is being defined and redefined in Indian context. The question of its relevance to contemporary situations is also raised time and now both the elite and the people at large. Early difficulties were the problems of identification conflict and consensus, ancient terms and modern connotations, periodization and classification of regions and polity. Even by facing these problems Indian historiography has achieved to large extent scholarly accounts.

South India Historiography of Early Karnataka dynasties beginning form the Mauryas to Chalukyas it has almost enriched flow of art and special development in architecture which leads a peculiar stage of their glories. Even so many changes were also occurring in all the fields of dynasties.

The political base for dynasties in South India of Early Karnataka emerged during the Maurya empire. This period reaches the glorious achievements in all the conditions of the empire and it has got the prestigious place in establishing the "Empire" at the first time contributed in the field of political history of India.

New dynasties after the decline of Mauryas and Satavahanas were chutus, Kadambas, Gangas and Pallavas, Early Chalukyas.

The time of Chalukyas of Vatapi saw's a remarkable output in the field of art and architecture, found in such places of Badami, Mahakuta, Aihole, Pattadakallu etc., Temple building tradition were continued in Karnataka to the time of Vijayanagar and Post Vijayanagar period. The monuments have offered an entrancing subject of the date from the historical works tries to determine the prejudices and predilections of authors. History is a conceptual integration of past events in the frame work of time and space. The point requires further elaboration to the writers of Itihasa tradition, history was not just meaningless succession of events.

Historiography is probably the oldest among the arts of the intellectual. It has a heavy and very respectable tradition. Herodotus, called the "Father of History" has a keen sense of the requirements of secular history, though on account of the limitations regarding documentation in ancient times, even he suffered from a certain amount dependence on inferior evidence and tended to exaggerate and confuse fact with fiction.

But Thucydides overcame these deficiencies and his "The history of the Peliponnesian war" is a model even to many modern historians, Polybius, Caesar and other handed down the torch of history and there was thus a tradition of historiography, which ever completely died out.

Indian scholars beginning with R.G. Bhandarkar imbibed the true spirit of historical tradition and laid the foundation for objective and secular history in India. The shackles of non-historical bias in all writings slowly wore off and proper historiographical traditions were established.

The present work proposes to research on "A Historigraphical Study of South India". It will attempt to cover historical writings on the periods from the Mouryas to the end of the Early Chalukyas period. With a special emphasis on stage through which the understanding has passed in Karnataka the problems and prospects of the cultural for investigation of scholars. The literature that has appeared is surprisingly huge and studies and researches have continued.

First of all the Ancient history is controversial and does not stand on ones opinion in ill and fields of history. i.e., why the controversial opinions. On different fields gives developments of the dynasties.

The nature and type of historical writings varies according to the nature and type of source material utilized by the historians. The nature of sources and problems of writing the history were the main aspect of the Historiography. The world Historiography and Indian Historiography have the different trends and interpretations, in reconstructing of history.

Our sources consists of literary and non literary sources. Here in historiography, writings of all the literary sources were considered as "Secondary" or "indirect" sources and non-literary sources were considered as the "Primary Sources" or "Direct Sources". Archaeological evidence is material evidence as against written evidence. i.e., material evidence left behind as a result of mans activities on the earth.

The treatment and division of chapters should neither be dynastic nor regional. It should be on the basis of political consolidation and disintegration, bringing our social economical and other factors governing these phases.

But it is not so much in the utilization of the various types of literary sources that the historical writing on ancient India suffers. It suffers from the lack of appreciation of the archaeological evidence and the proper utilization of it.

Beside those short comings in methodology, a modern historian suffers serious handclaps in the realm of higher criticism as well. In the interpretation contributed aspects and also the trends in world Historiography and Indian historiography interpretations and General trends. It will also attempt to cover the nature of sources and interpretations, problems and General trends from Ancient to recent period.

The proposed methodology in researching is as follows:

1. Collection of Bibliography.
2. Collection of date on Historical writings bearing on Earth Karnataka's history.
3. Analysis of the approaches to History of Karnataka.
4. Identification changing perspectives.
5. Identification of problems and prospects.
6. Presentation of the material in appropriate form.