The Fukuoka Prize came to me as a surprise as I had no prior information that my name was being considered. I was delighted to have been selected. It came to me at a crucial time when I was researching a book on the ancient Indian historical tradition.

My research focused on the question of the kind of historical tradition that had been used for writing on the past and on how this perspective on the past changed over the centuries. It was also assessing the extent to which historical writing reflects the social and intellectual concerns of the period when it was written. It had been argued that the ancient Indians lacked a sense of history. I was working towards refuting this statement. My contention was that every society has a sense of history and wishes to represent its past but that the articulation of this representation takes diverse forms.

The important aspect of the Fukuoka Prize is that it recognizes the work that is being done in Asia by scholars, artists and others associated with the world of culture. It is good to have it focused on Asian culture otherwise it gets diverted to other things that may not be so important.

It is most impressive that the citizens of Fukuoka are associated with this Prize. I hope they will go on upholding it.