Rajagrha- The City of Eminence

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My mind is crowded with the names and faces of the people, whose assistance and support helped me carry through the present work. By no means, I can recount the rules of all the persons whom I owe, or in the precise way their help was afforded to me. It would suffice to say here that, they include persons in great number and of wide range, Institutional head to horse-cart drivers, (whom I occasionally found to be very well informed and acted as useful guides). To each one of them, I feel sincerely indebted.

I can hardly thank Rajendra Deori, an archaeologist with the Ranchiy Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) till some time back, enough. I practically badgered him into finding materials for me that I considered indispensable for my work out of the Circle's library, of which he was in charge. He obliged by going to the extent he could. Much to my embarrassment, he never let his characteristic smile flap or his poise waver under the heaves of my expectations.

I am beholden to my old acquaintance Dr. R. K. Chattopadhyay of Dept. of Archaeology, Calcutta University and a very unassuming and rather taciturn Dr. Sharmila Shaha (of State Museum, Behala, West Bengal), whom I met only once. Both of these scholars furnished me with photocopies and, in some cases, the print of the microfilms of certain rare journals and reports. Helps from Dr. Bijoy Kumar Choudhary, Director, K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute came in so many ways that can hardly be enumerated. After assigning me the present work, he took upon himself the task of ensuring that the work, for me, progresses as hassle-free as possible. Moreover, he went through the draft of the book and came up with certain useful suggestions.

Dr. Imteaz Ahmed, the Director of an immaculately maintained Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, Patna, was the first person whom I turned to, looking for some rare study materials. Dr. P. K. Mishra and Dr. T. J. Vaidya, who had been till short time back Superintending Archaeologists of Patna and Ranchi Circles respectively, kindly allowed me to utilize their libraries. Dr. Mishra even facilitated a few of my early visits to the sites of Rajgir. I found the present Superintending Archaeologist of the Patna Circle, Dr. S. K. Manjul, to be very forthcoming in his co-operation, which primarily came by way of providing certain rare photographs.