Sri Ram Goyal (known as S. R. Goyal; 1932 – 2015) was an Indian historian and professor known for his work mainly on
Gupta history.
Career
S. R. Goyal pursued his academic career in ancient history, completing his Bachelor's degree in 1953 and his Master's degree in 1955 from
Allahabad University
The University of Allahabad is a Central University located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 23 September 1887 by an act of Parliament and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance (INI). It is the 4th oldest mode ...
, where he graduated with "first class first" honors. He began his teaching career at C.M.P. College,
Allahabad
Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...
(1955–58), and later moved to
Gorakhpur University
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University (formerly known as Gorakhpur University) is located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The University of Gorakhpur is a teaching and residential-cum-affiliating University. It has entered the league of top fi ...
(1958–70). In 1970, he joined
Jodhpur University
Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU, formerly known as University of Jodhpur) is an educational institution in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The institution is the only residential university in the state, catering mainly to the needs of students of ...
(now Jai Narain Vyas University), where he has served as the Head of the Department of History.
Works
Goyal has authored over 55 research papers and several books on ancient Indian history. Notable works include ''Viśva kī Prācīna Sabhyatāyeṃ'' (1963), ''Prācīna Bhārata kā Rājanaitika Itihāsa, Vol. III'' (1969), ''Prācīna Nepāla kā Rājanaitika aura Saṃskṛtika Itihāsa'' (1974), and ''Prācīna Bhāratīya Abhilekha Saṅgraha'' (1980). His doctoral thesis, ''A History of the Imperial Guptas'' (1967), has received recognition for its analysis of the Gupta period from scholars such as Professor
A. L. Basham and Professor
Eleanor Zelliot
Eleanor Zelliot (October 7, 1926 – June 5, 2016) was an American writer, professor of Carleton College and specialist on the India, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, women of Asia, Untouchables, and social movements
A social movement is either a lo ...
.
Goyal is also the Chief Editor of a 32-volume series on Indian History and Culture. This includes volumes like ''Māgadha Sāmrājya kā Udaya'' (1980) and ''Mughal Sāmrājya kā Prārambhika Itihāsa'' (1984). His research on the origins of the
Brāhmī script
Brahmi ( ; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as ...
during the
Maurya period
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...
has been acknowledged in academic circles.
Bibliography
Thesis
*''Were the Imperial Guptas Brāhmanas by Caste?'' (in Hindi), Bulletin of the Gorakhapur University, 1961 pp. 5-9.
*''Was Magadha the Original Home of the Imperial Guptas?'' PIHC, 1964 (abstract).
*''Samudragupta and the North-West Proceedings of the Oriental Conference'', Gauhati Session, 1964, pp. 153-68.
*''The Problem of Bālādityas in the Gupta Period Bhuyan Commemoration Volume'', Gauhati, 1965, pp. 100-4.
*''Observations on the Sri Vikrama Coin of Samudragupta'', JNSI, 1965, XXVII, Pt.ii, pp. 142-45.
*''The Date of Kālidāsa, An Old Suggestion Modified'' POC, XXII, i,1965, p. 72f (abstract).
*''The Date of Vasubandhu and the Identity of His Patron'' (in Hindi), Shri S.N.M. Tripathi Abhinandana Grantha, Varanasi, 1965, pp. 101-04.
*''Attribution of Chandragupta-Kumāradevi Coin Type'' Indian Numismatic Chronicle. IV, Pt. ii, 1965-66, pp. 116-26.
*''Attribution of the Coins of Prakāsàditya'', JNSI, 1966, XXVIII, Pt. i, pp. 17-20.
*''Early Chronology of the Gupta Dynasty'', JBRS, III, Jan. 1966, pp. 55-67.
*''Gayā and Nālandā Plates of Samudragupta'', JBBS, III, Jan. 1966, pp. 68-72.
*''Samudragupta: the King of the Meharauli Pillar Inscription'' (in Hindi), Nagari Pracharini Patrika, LXXIX, Pt.iii, V. E. 2021, pp. 261-77.
Books
Hindi
''Viśva kī prācīna sabhyatāem̐''(1963).
*''Gupta evām sāmakalin rajavamsa'' (1969).
''Prācīna Nepāla kā rājanitika aura sāṃskr̥tika itihāsa (abhilekhoṃ ke ādhāra para)''(1973).
''Māgadha sāmrājya kā udaya''(1981).
''Prācīna Bhāratīya abhilekha saṅgraha : mūlapāṭha, anuvāda, tathā vyākhyā sahita''(1982).
''Guptakālín Abhilekha''(1984).
''Harsha Śīlāditya''(1986).
''Bhārata meṃ Mug̲h̲ala sāmrājya kā prārambhika itihāsa : Akabara kī mr̥tyu taka''(1987).
(1987).
*
ttps://books.google.co.in/books/about/Samudragupta_par%C4%81kram%C4%81%E1%B9%85ka.html?id=3ec8AAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y ''Samudragupta Parākramānka''(1987).
''Gupta Sāmrājya kā itihāsa''(1987).
(1988).
*
ttps://archive.org/details/20240611_20240611_0939 ''Nanda-Maurya Sāmrājya kā itihāsa''(1988).
''Gupta aura Vākāṭaka sāmrājyoṃ kā yuga''(1988).
''Maukhari-Pushyabhūti-Cālukya yuga''(1988).
(1995).
English
(1967).
''A religious history of ancient India, upto c. 1200 A.D.''(1984).
''Kautilya and Megasthenes''(1985).
''Harsha and Buddhism''(1986).
''A History Of Indian Buddhism''(1987).
(1987).
*
ttps://catalog-test.lib.uchicago.edu/vufind/Record/2416749 ''An introduction to Gupta numismatics''(1994).
''The Coinage of Ancient India vol. I''(1994).
''The Coinage of Ancient India vol. II''(1995).
''Indian art of the Gupta age : from pre-classical roots to the emergence of medieval trends''(2000).
(2000).
*[https://books.google.co.in/books/about/The_Kau%E1%B9%ADil%C4%ABya_Artha%C5%9B%C4%81stra.html?id=uFuDAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y ''The Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra : its author, date, and relevance for the Maurya period''] (2000).
''India as known to Kauṭilya and Megasthenes''(2001).
''Indian Buddhism after the Buddha''(2003).
''Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni : a biographical study''(2004).
''Buddhism in Indian history and culture : upto the Ambedkar movement''(2004).
''Ancient Indian inscriptions : recent finds and new interpretations''(2005).
(2006).
*
ttps://catalog-test.lib.uchicago.edu/vufind/Record/6614965 ''A history of the Vākāṭaka-Gupta relations''(2006).
''Śramaṇism in early Indian religions and religious life''(2007).
''Pre-paurāṇika Hinduism : prehistoric genesis, contribution of the Indus religion, and vedic foundations of paurāṇika Hinduism''(2008).
''Fundamentals of Paurāṇika Hinduism''(2009).
''Birth and early growth of Indian society''(2016).
''Paurāṇika sects and cults''(2017).
''A comprehensive history of Hinduism''(2018).
''Hinduism in the Context of Social History (Set of 3 Volumes)''(2024) edition.
See also
*
Eleanor Zelliot
Eleanor Zelliot (October 7, 1926 – June 5, 2016) was an American writer, professor of Carleton College and specialist on the India, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, women of Asia, Untouchables, and social movements
A social movement is either a lo ...
*
D. N. Lorenzen
*
A.L Basham
References
Further reading
''Early India Historical Probings (Essays in Honour of Professor S. R. Goyal on His 85th Birthday)''*
{{DEFAULTSORT:S. R. Goyal
1932 births
University of Allahabad alumni
20th-century Indian historians
Historians of South Asia
Historians of India
2015 deaths