Archaeology in India with Especial Reference to the Works of Babu Rajendralala Mitra

The real interest however of the volume—if any—will prbably be found to reside not in the analysis of the archoelogical works of Babu Rajendralala Mitra but in these days of discussions on Ilbert Bills in the question as to whether the natives of India are to be treated as equal to Europeans in all respects. [...] The motive for its appearance at that time was probably to justify the Government for having entrusted to him the conduct of the expedition to Orissa and to prove to them how capable he was of undertaking the publication of its results by showing his superiority to previous labourers in the field. [...] On the contrary in all I have ever written on the subject I have made the most marked distinction between the two branches of the art of building and as it is my works the Babu is criticising he is bound to accept my definition of the subject; but nine-tenths of the misunderstandings and objections in his book wise from his inability to see or unwillingness to admit this pefectly obvious [...] The sloping pillars of the nave 1 the wooden ribs of the roof the screen in front the great timbers of the façade and the ornamentation throughout are all wooden features and such as could not or least would not. [...] I These facts with regard to the two expeditions and the part I took in urging the Government to send them are not of course alluded to in the two folio volumes of the Antiquities of Orissa ' though all the circumstances of the case must have been perfectly well known to the Babu at the time."24 ARCILEOLOGY IN INDIA.