Epigraphy And Numismatics of South India

Epigraphy and numismatics play a vital role in the reconstruction of Ancient Indian History because of the fact that unlike Greece, Rome or China, Ancient India has no history, because the Indians of antiquity did not care to leave written accounts of all their achievements. It is believed that Numismatics and epigraphy merely confirm history put seldom modify or amplify it. However, this does not hold true for India. No connected written history of India for any period prior to the Muhammadan conquest has come down to us. We therefore have the construct it as best as we can out of the materials at our disposal. These belong to two main classes, the first of which consists of works written as panegyrics by Hindu authors or as descriptive accounts by foreign travellers and historians. The second class of materials is of a more important nature, and comprises epigraphy and numismatics.