Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 115

MARCH 1, 1872.]
REVIEW.
93
as a study, owes almost everything to him, and hirs, -Mr. Fergusson sets himself to prove-1st, that since the publication of his "Illustrations of the they "are generally sepulchral, or connected diRock-Cut Temples of India" in 1845, to the present rectly, or indirectly, with the rites of the dead; day, his interest in it and his zeal for its thorough 2nd, that they are not temples in any usual or apinvestigation has steadily increased. But few of propriate sebre of the term and lastly, that they the many contributions he has made to the cause were generally erected by partially civilized races of his favourite science promise to be more in- after they had [in the west) come in contact with portant in their ultinate issues than the service he the Romans, and most of them may be considered has just rendered by the publication of his "Rude as belonging to the first ten centuries of the Stone Monuments."
Christian Era." The age of the Monuments treated of has long It is not to be expected that all that the author been a mystery, and of late the tendency has been advances will stand the test of a rigid criticism, or to relegate them almost without exception to "pre- be confirmed by future discoveries, but this book has historic" times. Mr. Fergusson, however, is justly the grent merit of, for the first time, presenting a dissatisfied with all the theories on this point distinct and positive view of the age or use of these broached during the last two centuries. Stukeley, megalithic remains, and if suggestions on many as he remarks,"cut the vessel adrift from the minor points have been offered, which it night be moorings of common sense, and she has since been difficult to establish by proof, he avows he has put & derelict tossed about by the winds and waves of them forth-"because it often happens that such sugevery passing fancy, till recently, when an attempt gestions turn the attention of others to points which has been made to tow the wreck into the misty would otherwise be overlooked, and Day lead to haven of prehistoric antiquity. If ever she reaches discoveries of great importance ; while if disproved, that nebulous region, she may as well be broken they are only so much rubbish swept out of the path up in despair, as she can be of no further use for of truth, and their detection can do no harm to any human purposes." Further, as he remarks else- one but their author." We need scarcely add that where, some of these reinains cannot belong to a writer who has added so much to our knowledge prehistoric, while the others belong to the historic can afford to be cerrected if it should turn out that period;" all belong to the one epoch or to the on some minor point he has not divined the truth. other. Either it is that Stonehenge and Avebury We cannot attempt to follow the author over the and all such are the temples of a race so ancient as whole of the British Isles, Scandinavia and North to be beyond the ken of mortal man, or they are Germany, France--so rich in these remains, Southern the sepulchral monuinents of a people who lived so Europe, Northern Africa, the Mediterranean Islands, nearly within the limits of true historic times, that and Western Asia, in all of which regions such their story can easily be recovered." And if the monuments are found ; but we must pause at India author has proved any point, it is that most of the to make a few brief extracts., European remains of this class have been erected “The number of rude-stone monuments in India," since the Christian era, and most of those in Eng- says Mr. Fergusson, "is probably as great or even - land, at least, between the fifth and tenth centuries. greater than that of those to be found in Europe, Stonehenge, for example, belongs to the period of and they are so similar that, even if they should the struggle between the Saxons and the Britons not turn out to be identical, they form a most imunder Ambrosius, and most probably to the years portant branch of this enquiry. Even irrespective, 466 to 470 A. D. The argument he advances is however, of these, the study of the history of backed by the results of extensive reading, and from architecture in India is calculated to throw so the cumulative character of the evidence becomes much light on the problems connected with the very powerful. And it perhaps deserves all the more study of megalithio 10onuments in the West that, attention because the results are not those of for that cause alone, it deserves much more attention predilection :" When I first took up the subject," than it has hitherto received." says-Mr. Fergusson in his preface," I hoped that The first tribe noticed as erecting rude-stone the rude stone monuments would prove to be old, monuments are the Khassiaa, in whose country they -80 old, indeed as to form the incunabula' of exist in greater numbers than perhaps in any, other styles, and that we might thus, by a simple i other portion of the globe of the same extent. All process, arrive at the genesis of styles. Bit by bit travellers who huve visited the country have been that theory has crumbled to pieces as my knowledge struck with the fact and with the curious similarity increased, and most reluctantly have I bcun forced of their forms to those existing in Europe."..... to adopt the more prosaic conclusions of the present "The natives make no mystery about them, and in any volume. If, however, this represents the truth, were erected within the last few years, or are being that must be allowed to be an ample compensation erected now, and they are identical in form with for the loss of any poetry which has hitherto hung those which are grey with years, and must have round the mystery of the Rude Stone Monuments." been set up in the long forgotten past." The top of Regarding these monuments-whether Tumuli, one dolmen "measured 30 feet 4 inches by 10 feet Dolmens or Cromlechs, Circles, Avenues, or Men- in breadth, and had an average thickness of 1 foot,"