V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar
Encyclopedia
Vishnampet R. Ramachandra Dikshitar (April 16, 1896 – November 24, 1953) was a historian, Indologist and Dravidologist from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
. He was a professor of history and archaeology in the University of Madras
and is the author of standard text books on Indian history.
in an orthodox Brahmin family on April 16, 1896. He did his schooling at Sir P S Sivaswami Iyer High School at Thirukkattupalli and earned his bachelor of arts in history with distinction from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli
in 1920. He completed his master's in history in 1923 along with a diploma in economics and obtained his PhD from Madras University in 1927.
Ramachandra Dikshitar specialized in Indian history in general, and Tamil history, in particular. He was a renowned Sanskrit scholar of his time.
was invented in South India
. As a result, this book is widely referenced by the historians of the Sangh Parivar for its notes on vimanas and by Dravidologists for its theory on the origin of boomerangs.
He believed that the references to the vimanas were quite real as evidenced by his writings in "Warfare in Ancient India"
In his Origin and Spread of the Tamils, Dikshitar includes Australia and Polynesia
among the regions known to the ancient South Indians thereby suggesting that South Indian traders might have at least had a general idea of existence of the Australian continent even before it was discovered by Portuguese
and Dutch
sea-farers of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. He was a professor of history and archaeology in the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
and is the author of standard text books on Indian history.
Early life
Ramachandra Dikshitar was born in the village of Vishnampettai or Vishnampet in Madras PresidencyMadras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
in an orthodox Brahmin family on April 16, 1896. He did his schooling at Sir P S Sivaswami Iyer High School at Thirukkattupalli and earned his bachelor of arts in history with distinction from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
in 1920. He completed his master's in history in 1923 along with a diploma in economics and obtained his PhD from Madras University in 1927.
Academic career
Ramachandra Dikshitar joined as a lecturer in history at St.Joseph College, Trichy. In 1928, he was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Madras. He was promoted to reader in 1946 and made Professor in 1947.Ramachandra Dikshitar specialized in Indian history in general, and Tamil history, in particular. He was a renowned Sanskrit scholar of his time.
Works
Ramachandra Dikshitar authored a number of books on history. He was the general editor of the Madras University Historical Series. Some of his prominent works are:Legacy
Dr. Nagaswamy, former director of Archaeology, Government of India, once said of Ramachandra Dikshitar:Historical methodology
Ramachandra Dikshitar introduced a new methodology in the study of ancient Indian history. His book "Warfare in Ancient India" speaks of the usage of vimanas in wars in ancient India and claims that the boomerangBoomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
was invented in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. As a result, this book is widely referenced by the historians of the Sangh Parivar for its notes on vimanas and by Dravidologists for its theory on the origin of boomerangs.
He believed that the references to the vimanas were quite real as evidenced by his writings in "Warfare in Ancient India"
In his Origin and Spread of the Tamils, Dikshitar includes Australia and Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
among the regions known to the ancient South Indians thereby suggesting that South Indian traders might have at least had a general idea of existence of the Australian continent even before it was discovered by Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
sea-farers of the 16th and 17th centuries.