COMMERCIAL EDS. + CRIT. EDS.

[Srinivasan Pichumani]

Dominik writes:

>>In general, I don't like to think of ideas in nationalistic
>>or regional terms, and would therefore disagree with your
>>attribution of special historical interest in critical                      
>>editing to Europeans.

Just out of curiosity, are there examples of Indo/Sino/
Japanese/<other-such> attempts, dating from the ancient
to medieval times, at critically editing texts relating
to various subjects ? 

In the modern context, say post-1800, and specifically in
the Indian case, aren't such attempts by Indians directly
due to the inculcation of a specific, linear, historical
interest via English/British/"Western-style" education ?

The only counter-example in some sense that I can think 
of is the "critical" editing of various Sangam texts in 
Tamil (post 1875) by the great scholar U.V.Swaminatha Iyer.  
Kamil Zvelebil and others have remarked in some detail on 
this topic, based on the details of UVSIyer's life and 
background, and the methods used by him in resurrecting 
these texts...

-Srini.