Excerpts of address of union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu during the release of book “The Chronology of Ancient India: Victim of distortions and concoctions”
on 13th September 2015 in Hyderabad. The book is written by Dr Vedveer Arya.
Indians traditionally preserved the chronology of ancient times in Puranas but unfortunately, the tradition got discontinued after Gupta period. Gradually, the exact epochs of ancient eras have also been forgotten by the 10th and 11th century CE that led to certain inconsistencies in the chronology of ancient India. Taking advantage of these inconsistencies, Western historians and their followers distorted the chronology and concocted many false theories also that led the modern Indian historical research in the direction that suited their purpose. Since the Western and colonial historians systematically nurtured a bias towards the traditional chronology of ancient India, the majority of historians, particularly those with Leftist leanings, of independent India have also carried forward the same legacy that also got patronized by the certain sections of political establishment.
2
The entire edifice of the chronology of ancient India was erected on false foundations during the colonial period. Many scholars have attempted to expose the fallacy of the distorted Indian chronology with reference to the Puranic chronology. I am told that the present research work is completely based on the comprehensive study of the chronological content of the inscriptions.
3
Unfortunately, many in India’s intellectual elite continue to promote the notion that pre-colonial India was feudalistic, pre-rational, and by implication in need of being invaded for its own benefit.
