Ideology and Status of Sanskrit

The present volume is the outcome of a seminar on the Ideology and Status of Sanskrit held in Leiden under the auspices of the International Institute for Asian Studies. The book contains studies of crucial periods and important areas in the history of the Sanskrit language, from the earliest, Vedic and pre-Vedic periods, through the period in which the (restricted) use of Sanskrit spread over practically all of South (including part of Central) and Southeast Asia (sometimes referred to as the period of "Greater India"), up to the recent history of Sanskrit in India.The contributions of this volume are divided into three sections: (1) Origins and Creation of the "Eternal Language"; (2) Transculturation, Vernacularization, Sanskritization; (3) The Sanskrit Tradition: Continuity from the past or Construction from the present?

'This book edited by Jan E.M. Houben is a very important contribution to Sanskrit studies.' Eugenio R. Luján, Word, 1998. '...a welcome contribution to our knowledge of the history of Sanskrit.' Robert P. Goldman, The Journal of Asian Studies, 1997.

Jan E.M. Houben obtained his Ph.D. in 1992 for a thesis on Bhartṛhari's philosophy of language (Utrecht University). At present he is a Fellow of the International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden, doing research in ancient Indian grammar and philosophy.