SOURCES OF ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY 

Colonial administrators in the 18th century began translating Ancient Indian legal and literary works for administrative purposes and to better understand the natives. They institutionalized research on Ancient Indian history, initially traced by British officials. Native scholars also began researching in the 19th century, providing a nationalist perspective on the Indian past. Major steps taken by researchers, archaeologists, and scholars in the past two centuries.

• William Jones (1746-84): Translated Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Shakuntalam and founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
• Charles Wilkins (1746-1840): Translated Bhagvadgita, supported by Fort Williams administration.
• Sir James Mackintosh (1804-1804): Founded Bombay Asiatic Society.
• Max Muller: Translated Ancient Indian writings for Colonial understanding of Indian culture.
• James Prinsep (1799-1840): Deciphered Kharosthi and Brahmi Script, associated King Devanampiya Piyadasi with Ashoka.
• Alexander Cunningham (1861-1861): Founded the Archaeological Survey of India.
• Vincent Arthur Smith (1843-1920): Writt “Early Story of India” with a Pro-colonial stance.
• F.O. Oretel (1905): Unearthed the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which would become India’s national emblem.
• Rajendra Lal Mitra (1822-1891) was a prominent Indian historian who wrote about ancient society, arguing that the caste system was similar to the division of labour in pre-industrial and ancient European societies. He also wrote 22 volumes of Maratha History, reconstructed the political history of the Deccan, Satavahanas, and the History of Vaishnavism, advocating widow remarriage and criticizing the caste system and child marriage.
• Pandurang Vaman Kane wrote ‘History of Dharmasastra’, an Encyclopedia of Ancient social laws and customs. 
• Devdatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar was an epigraphist who wrote about Asoka and Ancient Political Institutions. 
• Hemachandra Raychaudhuri reconstructed the history of India from the time of Mahabharata to the Guptas, focusing on the Streak of Military Brahmanism.
• R.C. Majumdar’s writings showed a higher element of Hindu Revivalism and were the General Editor of the Multi-volume publication “History and Culture of the Indian People.”
• K.P. Jayaswal and A.S. Altekar wrote about the role of Indigenous ruling dynasties and the existence of Republics in Hindu Polity.
• A.L. Basham’s ‘Wonder that was India’ (1951) highlighted the sympathetic survey of various facets of Ancient Indian culture and civilization.