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(ii) that it is simply futile to attempt to develop any idea of Oriental civilization, so as to make it harmonize with Western culture if Sanskrit was not taken as a main basis. 2. In reply I would quote from the History of India by Mr. K.V. Rangasvamy Aiyangar M.A; F.R.H.S., Professor of History in the Maha-Rajahs College, Trivandrum and comment:(i) that the Dravidians* [* Tamilian is now the brief term used to denote the word
Dravidian which does not so well indicate the group of languages of which Tamil is the chief representative Ed. L.T.] were once dominant all over India (p.9);
(ii) that long before authentic History was begun, they occupied the Deccan and have left unmistakable marks on the features and languages of its inhabitants; (p. 126); (iii) that they occupied Southern India hundreds of years before the Aryans entered India (p. 137) (iv) that they had early advanced in civilization and were not behind hand the Aryan culture (p. 138) (v) that from the beginning they were able to maintain their languages, customs and manners unmodified to any extent by Aryan influence, (p. 138) (vi) that they not only enriched the Hebrew language, but also bestowed on most of the Indian languages alphabets, borrowed from the Semetic tongues of Mesopotamia (p. 139) (vii) (p. 140) that they had a polished literature about the first century of the Christian Era
3. From (i) to (vi) it is evident that the Dravidians were a powerful race, that they carried their civilization wherever they went, and their culture was independent of the Sanskrit influence. It was their high culture that impelled them to sympathize with the Indian