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and religions since the ancient times, there are found to
be diversities in the sociological conditions in a single
period between different provinces; many divergent
practices again are seen to exist side by side in the
same or in different provinces. It cannot be denied,
nevertheless, that there are some peculiar characteristics
of a particular period that are not to be found in
subsequent or earlier epochs, and which, therefore, may
rightly be called the distinguishing features of that period.
In the following pages every section dealing with a social
problem contains a short introductory historical sketch
describing the development of that particular topic from
the Vedic times down to the period of the Artha艣膩stra,
which, as we shall presently show in brief, belongs to the
Mauryan age.
No reference has been made to the
subsequent periods. After tracing the vicissitudes of
a particular social, political or religious problem under
different periods, we have given the information supplied
by our works in regard to the problem showing the state
of affairs at the period of our poet. Readers are left to
judge for themselves as to the particular period with
which the sociological conditions described in our works
closely agree, though at places we have referred to some
resemblances in foot-notes.
The age of the Rgveda as to the date of which
there is a good deal of difference of opinion among
orientalists has been taken as the starting point. Scholars
variously put the date between 25000 B. C. and 700 B. C.,
the generally accepted view being to place the period in
the second millenium before Christ following
Max M眉ller.' Rightly has the late Rev. Father
Zimmermann drawn the attention of scholars in this
connection to the differences of view-point that naturally
arise between those who reside thousands of miles away
from India and those residing nearer the scene of action.
Without entering into details as to the discussion of
the date of the Rgveda, we may state that the reasonable
view appears to be that which puts the Vedic civilization
at about 4500 B. C. propounded by Dr. Jacobi and
1 25000 B. C.-A. C. Das; 11000.-S. V. Venkatesvara; 6000 B. C.-
Tilak 4500 B. C.-Jacobi; 2780-1820 B. C.-Weber; 2400-2000 B. C.-Haug;
2000 B. C.-Winternitz; 2050-1600 B. C.-Pargiter; 1400-1200 B. C.-Macdonell,
Keith 700 B. C.-Waddell. 2 Hymns from the Rgveda, Bom. Sans. Ser. No. 58,
Second Ed., Preface, p. vii.