Prof. K. Sukumar Sen was invited to be a Senior Research-Fellow from 2.9.82 for a year to study and report on any subject of his choice. Considering his advanced age he was allowed to work in his residence in Calcutta waiving the requirement of visiting the International School of Dravidian Linguistics, Triuvanantapurah at least once during the tenure of his Fellowship for a semifer Characteristic of his scholarship, Prof. Sen has produced a volume of Place Names, approximately 1390 items which will serve as a source book for Toponomists for further work.
Also the process of name giving to places as evident. from this book is almost similar through out India with very few variations. It may also be the case in several parts of the world. The Primitive mind very often thinks alike. One of the interesting feature pointed out by Prof. Sen is that only after the Mohammadan advent, personal names were increasingly used for place-names. Further he observes that 'pur' city is invariably the ending of such places and not "Nagara walled town. This information is interesting to the student of history, because perpetuation of their names was the motive of the later rulers. The great Chola monarchs of Tamil Nadu had done this. The kings in other States might have also adopted this. This effort changed the focus from natural objects and mythology to historic personages as the bases for naming. It is an important development in India as in other parts of the globe.
The Internarional School of Dravidian Linguisticss is indebted to the Department of Education, Govt, of West Bengal especially its able Chief Minister for providing a modest grant of Rs. 30,000/-in 1982-83 for this purpose. Innumerable officers in the Dept. of Education and the Life Members of the DLA in Calcutta helpped in getting the grant and disbursing it early. Not every Govt. will be inclined to give a grant to an institution functioning in distant Tiruvanantapuram. The West Bengal did it and we are able to place before the world of scholars the printed report of Prof. K. Sukumar Sen now, though with some delay.
Prof. A.K. Banerjee, Sunitikumar Chaterji Professor in the I.S. D.L. (1989-90) read through the draft and made some corrections.
A. Fernando edited the material for the press. Two Chapters on the history of Bengali Language from the History of Bengali Literature are reproduced with the permission of the Sahitya Akademy, New Delhi. It serves as a back ground to the non-Bengali readers in understanding the language of the place names. We are grateful to those who assisted in this work and to the Sahitya Akadamy for its permission.
Hindu (935)
Agriculture (118)
Ancient (1086)
Archaeology (753)
Architecture (563)
Art & Culture (910)
Biography (702)
Buddhist (544)
Cookery (167)
Emperor & Queen (565)
Islam (242)
Jainism (307)
Literary (896)
Mahatma Gandhi (372)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist