P.V. Kane’s monumental “History of Dharmaśāstra” (5 vols, 1930-1962) – encyclopedia of ancient & medieval Hindu law & traditions – is freely available on Internet Archive! 📚
>be P.V. Kane
>Konkani Chitpavan Brahman born in 1880 in a small village, Maharashtra
>father is a taluka pleader but deeply rooted in tradition
>from age 5, homeschooled by father, memorize entire Amarakosha by 11, hundreds of shlokas from Vedas, & epics
>top the matriculation exam
>move to Bombay, B.A. from Wilson College in 1901 with Bhau Daji Prize for Sanskrit
>start teaching at Govt High School Ratnagiri
>no money, struggle to settle, briefly teach in schools
>study law on the side, LL.B, enroll as advocate in Bombay High Court 1911
>watches British judges missionaries cherry-pick smritis to dunk on Hindu society
>decide to specialize in Hindu law
>all judges started consult him
>"What does Kane say?" becomes common in courts dealing with Dharmashastra cases
>meanwhile passion for Sanskrit never dies
>1920s start editing Vyavaharamayukha, plan short intro on history of Dharmashastra
>intro turns into obsession
>spend decades in libraries - Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Asiatic Society Bombay
>handwrite every word himself, no typing
>Volume 1 drops in 1930, blows minds
>dropped volume after volume
>total approx. 6500 pages, 5 volumes (8 parts), encyclopedia of ancient & medieval Hindu law, customs, samskaras, vyavahara, everything
>single-handedly revive & systematize entire Dharmashastra tradition
>prove to Western critics that Hindu law is sophisticated, evolving & not static
>become Professor of Sanskrit, then Law at Govt Law College
>Vice-Chancellor Bombay University 1947-49
>nominated to Rajya Sabha twice, influence Hindu Code Bills to retain dharmic essence
>Sahitya Akademi Award 1956 for Vol IV
>title "Mahamahopadhyaya"- greatest of great teachers
1963
>President Radhakrishnan awards Bharat Ratna for pure scholarship in Sanskrit/Indology
>continue research till end, suffer health issues but no regrets
>die 1972 at 91, knowing Hindu civilization's intellectual heritage secured through my work
>absolute legend, scholars still cite Kane everywhere