About The Book : The account of India written by Megasthenes from his personal knowledge of the country is justly held to be almost invaluable for the light which it throws upon the obscurity of early Indian history. Though, unfortunately, not extant in its original form, it has nevertheless been partially preserved by means of epitomes and quotations to be found scattered up and down the writings of various ancient authors, both Greek and Roman. The translation now offered, which goes forth from the very birthplace of the original work, will therefore for the first time place it within the reach of the general public. A translation of the first part of the Indika of Arrian has been subjoined, both because it gives in a connected form a general description of India, and because that description was based chiefly on the work of Megasthenes.The notes, which turn for the most part on points of history, geography, archaeology, and the identification of Greek proper names with their Sanskrit originals, sum up the views of the best and most recent authorities who have written on these subjects. About The Translator -: John Watson McCrindl (1825 – 1913) was a Scottish classical philologist and educator who wrote several major works on references to India in ancient classical writings. McCrindle was the son of John McCrindle and was born near Maybole, Ayrshire and went to the University of Edinburgh where he received the Stratton Gold Medal in 1853. He graduated BA in 1854 and MA in 1855 and taught for a while in Edinburgh schools before moving to India in 1859 to become Principa... See more
About The Book : The account of India written by Megasthenes from his personal knowledge of the country is justly held to be almost invaluable for the light which it throws upon the obscurity of early Indian history. Though, unfortunately, not extant in its original form, it has nevertheless been partially preserved by means of epitomes and quotations to be found scattered up and down the writings of various ancient authors, both Greek and Roman. The translation now offered, which goes forth from the very birthplace of the original work, will therefore for the first time place it within the reach of the general public. A translation of the first part of the Indika of Arrian has been subjoined, both because it gives in a connected form a general description of India, and because that description was based chiefly on the work of Megasthenes.The notes, which turn for the most part on points of history, geography, archaeology, and the identification of Greek proper names with their Sanskrit originals, sum up the views of the best and most recent authorities who have written on these subjects. About The Translator -: John Watson McCrindl (1825 – 1913) was a Scottish classical philologist and educator who wrote several major works on references to India in ancient classical writings. McCrindle was the son of John McCrindle and was born near Maybole, Ayrshire and went to the University of Edinburgh where he received the Stratton Gold Medal in 1853. He graduated BA in 1854 and MA in 1855 and taught for a while in Edinburgh schools before moving to India in 1859 to become Principal of the Doveton College in Calcutta. He became a professor at Patna College and later at Krishnagar College. He became the first principal of Patna College from 1867 and retired in 1880. He founded a school for girls in Patna. He wrote a number of works (first in the Indian Antiquary and later as books) on ancient India as described in the works of Ctesias, Megasthenes and Arrian; the Periplus Mari
