Presenting a statistical analysis of Chola inscriptions, he
demonstrated how hitherto unknown information and perspective
could be obtained on village community and challenges to caste
system among medieval Tamils. Interestingly, a recent book
published by Oxford this year, “South India Under the Cholas,”
authored by Professor Y. Subbarayalu, throwing new light on
history based on inscriptions was also focussing on statistics
and concordance. Karashima, now 79, and Subbarayalu were working
together closely for nearly four decades. Of the 58,800,
recorded inscriptions in Indian languages, 44,000 are in South
Indian Dravidian languages, and 28,000 are in Tamil alone,
Karashima said in pointing out how there is ample scope in Tamil
for a statistical study to bring in reliable information and
perspective. Karashima was steadily working on statistical data
of Tamil inscriptions ever since his publication ”A Concordance
of Names in Chola Inscriptions,” compiled along with Subbarayalu
and Matsui was published in 197