INTRODUCTION. 49 Where ^Saivism held its place or crept in was apparently among those races who were Dravidians or Turanians, or had affinities with the Tartar races, who immigrated from the north long before the Muhammadan conquest. To most people these may appear as rash generalisations, and at the present stage of the enquiry would be so in reality, if no further proof could be afforded. After reading the follow- ing pages, I trust most of them at least will be found to rest on the basis of a fair induction from the facts brought forward. It might, consequently, have appeared more logical to defer these statements to the end of the work, instead of placing them at the beginning. Unless, however, they are read and mastered first, a great deal that is stated in the following pages will be unintelligible, and the scope and purpose of the work can be neither understood nor appreciated. 1 1 For a fuller statement of the author's views on Ethnography as applied to Architectural art, see his ' History of Architecture in all Countries,' 3rd ed. vol. i. introd. pp. 52-85.
2. Nâga people worshipping the Triratna emblem of Buddha, on a fiery pillar.
(From a bas-relief at Amarâvatî.)
VOL. I. I)
