पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

risk than to be an agent in circulating palpable falsehoods. Those who have a liking for such stuff can have recourse to the original chronicles which should go as literary pieces, but not as history. They can be turned to sociological uses too. The study of this subject I began a decade ago and many causes have retarded its progress. I had an intention of first stating the theory of the Maratha State in an independent monograph and then of writing this volume for the correct understanding of which it is absolutely necessary. Now I am stating the same in bare outline in the Introduction. Then again for various reasons, mainly but not exclusively personal, the work was written in parts and then held over. This fact has adversely affected its merit as a literary product. Had the work been written out in the first glamour of the subject and in the Panipat locality, it would definitely have been a more unitary piece of work. But the loss on the presentation side has been made up by gain on the thinking side. The battle could not have been satisfactorily described by me four years ago, when I could not visualise it properly. After that, the coming in of new material and even the hope of getting access to valuable material held over my design. Such rare material has been made available to me by the kindness of co-workers in the field of history, especially through the assiduity of Mr. G. H. KHARE of the Bharat Itihas Samshodhak Mandal. The thanks of all students of history would naturally go to him, in addition to those of mine. Other scholars who have helped me in furthering my project are Dr. G. S. GHURYE of the University School of Sociology in Bombay; Rao Bahadur K. N. DIKSHIT, the retired Director-General of Archæ- ology, who acted as a host to me in my northern tour; the authorities of the B. I. S. Mandal, Poona; and many others too numerous to be individually mentioned. The readers' thanks should also go to Dr. S. M. KATRE, Di- rector of our Institute, for the drive he has shown in pushing the work through and for its general and artistic get-up, and to the Press for their excellent workmanship. 21st March, 1946. T. S. S.