Anant Krishna Shastry dating history

Details

Dr. A.K Shastry (Anant Krishna Shastry) was a historian in the state of Karnataka, India. He was the first scholar to extensively study and research manuscripts called 'Kadata'. He also studied more than a hundred thousand palm leaf and paper manuscripts. Kadatas are from the 15th century to the 19th century, and unique in how they are made. Kadata is a long sheet of cloth, seasoned with charcoal paste mixed with tamarind seed powder, dried and folded in the form a book. It opens out like a roll. Soapstone pencils were used to write. The history of Kadata goes back to the 4th century BC. Nearchus, an officer in Alexander The Great's army, mentions about Indians writing on a well-beaten cloth. A large number of Kadatas are preserved at the Sringeri Math in Sringeri, Karnataka. Dr Shastry's research focuses on social, political, economic and religious aspects of Sringeri Dharmasamsthana in particular and Karnataka in general, during this time period.