6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

Maurya to the end of the British dominance over India.
Hence, like its predecessor, 'The War of Indian Independence
•of 1857', which galvanized the public opinion and changed
the world outlook on that phase of our national life, this
book too is very likely to start re-orientation of our histori­
cal concepts and the accepted historical theories. A need
for an English translation of this book was, therefore, sorely
felt with a view to introducing it to the people who are
unable to read or understand Marathi.
A book of this type had to be substantiated with proofs,
especially when it was replete with thought-provoking—even
-at times shocking—statements and conclusions. Basic refer­
ences were, therefore, an unavoidable necessity ; but the
author, who had already crossed the bar of eighty years, and
whose physical ailments had already created insurmountable
diflSculties in the very writing of this book, could not be
expected to stand the rigour of pin-pointing his references,
voluminous as they were. I, therefore, had to shoulder that
responsibility. The appendage of the basic references to
this volume is thus my humble contribution. They will
clearly show to the reader that the facts mentioned in this
volume are fully backed by evidence. The interpretation of
these facts and the conclusions drawn from them, however,
are the author's special privileges, if only they obey the laws
of logical reasoning. The chapters are numbered serially from
one to twenty-three. Each paragraph is serially numbered
at the beginning, while the figures in the body of the para­
graphs indicate the reference number. In preparing the
index, reference is made to the paragraphs and not to the
pages.
My thanks are due to my son, Shri P.S. Godbole for
going through the type written sheets and preparing the
Index. I am thankful to Shri B.D. Velankar, the Asiatic
Society of Bombay and the University of Bombay for library
facilities. I am also thankful to the publishers who have
brought out this book.
S. T. Godbole