uThe literature of India passes generally for the most ancient literature of which we possess written records and justly so":*—For, it was argued that,
(i) Astronomical data could be appealed to, according to which the Vedas would date from about 1400
B.C.;
(ii) One of the Buddhistic eras could be relied upon, according to which a reformer was supposed to have arisen in the sixth century B.C. in opposition to Brahminical heirarchy j
(iii) The period when Panini flourished had been referred to the 4th century B. C., and from this, as a starting point, conclusions as to the period of literary development before him could be deduced.
These reasons recent research has proved to be baseless and the conclusion itself may be grounded on the accompanying data :—
(i) In the more ancient parts of the Rig Veda, the Aryans appear to have dwelt in the North Western frontiers of India and thence gradually advanced farther eastward. The writings of the following period treat of accounts of internal conflict with * the aboriginal races. If these are compared and
connected with the accounts by Megasthenes, it is clear that at his time the Brahmamsation of Hindustan was already complete.
(ii) In the songs of the Rik, the robust spirit of the | people gives expression to the feeling of its relation
to nature with a spontaneous freshness and simplicity. Beginning with this nature worship, we trace * The first two chapters are based or Weber and Mac DoneU,
I
t.