The Sanskrit drama: In Its Origin, Development, Theory and Practice

About this book

Arthur Berriedale Keith’s work is a scholarly survey of Sanskrit drama that situates the art’s origins, development, and theory within the broader currents of Indian literary history. The opening pages acknowledge the advances made since Professor Sylvain Lévi’s 1910 treatise, noting new fragmentary discoveries of Buddhist poet Aśvaghoṣa and the playwright Bhāsa, and the contributions of numerous European scholars. Keith explains that he will limit his study to Sanskrit and Prākrit plays, concentrating on major dramatists before the first millennium and offering concise bibliographic references rather than exhaustive textual criticism. The book proceeds methodically through parts on the Vedic roots of drama, the evolution of major playwrights, the principles of dramatic theory, and the practical aspects of Indian theatre, each section outlined in a detailed contents list.

The tone is that of an early‑20th‑century academic, marked by meticulous citation, formal prose, and a modest, self‑critical stance. Readers with an interest in classical Indian literature, comparative drama, or the history of literary theory will appreciate Keith’s balanced synthesis of textual evidence and scholarly debate, while those seeking a more narrative‑driven introduction to Sanskrit plays may find the approach deliberately analytical.

Opening lines

Thirty-two years have elapsed since the appearance of Professor Sylvain Lévi’s admirable treatise, Le théâtre indien, the first adequate sketch of the origin and development of the Indian drama and of Indian dramatic theory. Since then the discovery of important fragments of the dramas of the great Buddhist poet Açvaghoṣa, and of the plays of the famous Bhāsa, has thrown unexpected light on the early history of the drama in India; the question of the origin of the drama has been the subject of elaborate investigation by Professors von Schroeder, Pischel, Hertel, Sir W. Ridgeway, Lüders, Konow, and myself; and the real significance and value of the Indian theory of the dramatic art have been brought out by the labours of Professor Jacobi. The time is therefore ripe for a fresh investigation of the origin and development of the drama in the light of the new materials available. …

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