84 SOCIAL SCIENTIST mental questions crop up: What are the supposed distinctive features of Indian thought as highlighted by this image? How did this image originate and become popular? How far is it historically wellfounded? However the role played by the doctrine of the ^white burden" in the promotion and propagtion of this image was significant. In fact, this image went a long way in providing a sop to the imperialist conscience. On the other hand, the Indian contribution to the building up of this image is a good example of how historians influence history writing. Though it was never disputed that Indian thought was a uniquely self-contained system, historians could not bring themselves round to give up the considerable facility a ready-made model provided. On the other hand, most historians have unconsciously viewed ancient India on the analogy of medieval Europe. In the final chapter of the book the author has offered a historical model for the study of Indian thought which in his view alone does justice to the uniquely Indian tradition. Why a new and hitherto united model is required for the study of Indian thought? Because, Pratap Chandrfa believes, ^irrespective of their personal philosophical positions, historians of Indian philosophy have invariably adopted the same historical model—one that informs the histories of western thoughts". By needlessly sticking to the histories of Western thoughts, historians of Indian thought, even when they are not non-Indians h^ve allowed a subtle change in their mode of viewing ancient Indian thought. "If they are spiritualists, they are spiritualists in the Western sense overlooking ^the Indian view point. If they are materialists, they are materialists who are out |to uncritically impose the categories of historical materialism on Indian thought". Western model's uncritical acceptance by historians of Indian thought has undoubtedly led to misunderstandings. Hence the new model suggested by Pratap Chandra is based on some known facts: ('every articulated view is an outward expression of some underlying philosophical attitude; the same attitude can issue forth in more than one doctrine; having an attitude is necessary but not a sufficient condition for the birth and evolution of a doctririe; lastly, the underlying attitudes often take the shape of values". Quite significantly, Pratap Chandra has also touched upon the adequacy of the Marxist model for the study of Indian thought in the context of the Marxist approach to philosphical ideas. A number of Indian andjforeign scholars have tried to view Indian thought from the Marxist standpoint and have undoubtedly