インドに於ける古代の概念とその限界 : 文化史的に見たるインドの時代區分

Abstract

Though in Indology as well as in allied fields there remain many important problems in periodology, both historical and philosophical, they seem for the most part to have been overlooked. In his History of the Spirit of the Middle Ages in India (金倉圓照著, 印度中世精神史), however, Professor Kanakura has taken up these problems, and has given us many original and suggestive points for discussion. In his Opinion, the particular characteristic of the Indian Middle Ages is that they were entirely Indian, and a consolidation of past knowledge. According to his analysis, the Ancient Period lasted to 500 B.C. to 500 A.D. The period since 500 A.D. he considers recent and modern. I myself, however, feel that ancient India must be divided into an early and a late period. The early period would last to the fourth or fifth century B.C., and the late period to the fifth or sixth century A.D. Both periods I myself would consider ancient India. In any case, ancient India was entirely characteristic of India, and, as in the case of the European Ancient Ages, we must recognize something which was unique. In the real sense of the term, however, there was no philosophy in the Indian Middle Ages to correspond to Christianity. If we must find one, it was perhaps in the India after the Moslem invasion. India advanced into the Middle Ages from the liberal spirit of the Gupta unification and the human consciousness arising from the contact with Western culture. We have evidence of this in politics, economics, literature, art, and science. We must recognize the first and second period of Indian astronomy as ancient Indian. Because the Siddhdntas of the third period are a consolidation of earlier knowledge, we must consider them the beginning of the Middle Ages.