Hariprasad Shastri

Hariprasad Gangashankar Shastri (17 October 1919 – 9 August 2014) was an Indian scholar, historian, epigraphist, Indologist and editor primarily known for his work on the political and cultural history of Gujarat state. He spent much of his career at the B. J. Institute of Learning and Research, Ahmedabad, as a lecturer, professor, deputy director and then as director.

Early life

Hariprasad Shastri was born on 17 October 1919 at Malataj, a village near Petlad. His grandfather, Vrajlal Kalidas Shastri (1825–1892) was a scholar of Sanskrit and Prakrit languages as well as a pioneer philologist of Gujarati and the youngest brother of the saint-poet, Chhotam (1812–1885).

He married Shridevi Bhatt, daughter of an educationalist Karunashankar Kuberji Bhatt, in 1947. They had a son.

Later, he joined the Gujarat Vernacular Society, Ahmedabad, as a lecturer, and started his research under the guidance of Rasiklal Parikh. He wrote his thesis on the Political and Cultural History of the Maitraka Kingdom of Vallabhi on the basis of inscriptions of the Maitraka dynasty, and was awarded PhD in 1947.

Recognition Narmad Suvarna Chandrak for 1951 awarded by Narmad Sahitya Sabha in 1958 for his book Maitrakkalin Gujarat. Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak for 1960 awarded by Gujarat Sahitya Sabha in 1962 for his contributions in historical research. Kumar Suvarna Chandrak (1975). Haridas V. Gokani Gold Medal for the research paper Shrikrishna in Harivamsa: A Critical Study presented at the 8th session of Gujarat Itihas Parishad, Patan, 1975.

Selected papers