1.
Kharoṣṭhī Script
Dr. Priyanka Singh
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

2.
1.Discovery and Decipherment
2.Nomenclature
3. Geographical range
4. Chronological range
5. writing Technique and Language
6. origin- Different theories
7. Palaeographic features
8. Numbers and Numerical Notation

3.
Kharoṣṭhī was deciphered
during the 19th century by
James Prinsep, C. Lassen,
Carl Ludwig Grotefend And
Edwin Norris. Bilingual
Inscriptions in Gandhari and
Greek on coins helped with
decipherment.
Greek legend : Basileos Soteros Apollodotou
Kharoṣṭhī legend :Maharajasa tratarasa Apaladatasa.

4.
Nomenclature
The early scholar who deciphered the kharoṣṭhi records had attempted to the
name this script variously on the basis of its affinity to the region or people or
language. it was called-
1. Bactrian
2. Indo-Bactrian
3. Kabulian
4. Arianian
5. Bactro-Pali
6. Ariano-Pali
7.Gandhari
8. Kharoṣṭhī

5.
This script was first noticed on the coins of the ‘Bactrian’
rulers and hence it was called ‘ Bactrian’ character. But as the rulers
themselves because of their connection with India, were sometimes
referred to as ‘Indo-Bactrian’, the same term was also applied to the
script.
On geographical grounds Lassen preferred to call it ‘Kabulian’ and
Wilson ‘ Arianian’. Cunningham suggested the name Gandharian
alphabet. As the language used in these inscriptions is some form of
Pali or Prakrit , the script also came to be known as Bactro-Pali or
Ariano-Pali.

6.
Of these the most popular name was Kharoṣṭhī . Kharoṣṭhī as the name of the
script was first suggested by Terrien de Lacouperie in 1886-87 on the basis of
the Latitavistara and the Chinese encyclopedia Fa-yuan-chu-lin ( 668 C.E.).
De Lacouperie’s suggestion was adopted by Buhler.
The Chinese encyclopedia Fa-wan-shu-lin reports a traditional attributing the
invention of writing to three individuals, namely (1) Fa or Brahma who wrote
left to right, i.e. the Brāhmī script, (2) Kia-lu or Kia-lu-she-ti who wrote from
right to left, i.e. Kharoṣṭhī script and (3) Tsang-hieh who wrote from top to
bottom i.e. the Chinese script.
In the jain texts such as the Pannvana sutra and Samvayānga sutra
Kharoṣṭhī is referred to as one of the eighteen script s of ancient India. The
Buddhist text Lalitavisatara enumerates as many as sixty-four script of which
Kharoṣṭhī script stands second, next to Brāhmī script.

7.
Discovery & Decipherment
The discovery of Kharoṣṭhī script and first attempt a decipherment were
made by British archaeologist and numismatist Charles Masson.
Between 1833 and 1838, Masson excavated over fifty sites around
Kabul and Jalalabad in south-eastern Afghanitan, amassing a large
collection of small objects and many coins, principally from the site at
Begrām ( ancient Alexandria ) north of Kabul. from studying his
collection of bilingual coins issued by Greek rulers Masson realized that
the Greek legends on the obverse of the coins were directly translated
into the then unknown sript on the reverse. This provided the first key to
unlocking the script now known as Kharoṣṭhī .

8.
Masson sent his progress, along with ink impression and other
copies of his collection, to the Royal Asiatic Society 0f the
Bengal, where metallurgist and scholar James Prinsep began
to work on deciphering then further. Prinsep was able to read a
number of letters by comparing them to the Greek letters.
Prinsep recognised 11/12 letters. The rest were deciphered by
German orientalist Christian Lessen, A Cunningham and E.
Norris by the middle of the nineteenth century.

9.
The meaning of the name of the Script
following explanations of this name are found:
1. The inventor of this script was a person called Kharoṣṭhas
(Khara= Oṣṭha means asslip)
2. It is called Kharoṣṭhī because it was used by the Kharoṣṭhas, the
barbarous peoples on the north-western boundaries of India.
3. Kharoṣṭha is the Saṁkrit form of Kāsgar, a province in central Asia,
which was the latest Centre of this script.

10.
4. it is the adaptation of the Iranian word ‘Kharaoṣṭa’ or ‘Kharaposta’
meaning ass-skin. Most probably this script was used for writing on
ass-skin.
5. the earliest tradition about the name is recorded in the fa-wa-shu-lin
a Chinese encyclopedia , according to which the script is called
Kharoṣṭhī because it was invented by a person who bore that name
Kharaoṣṭha.
6. According to Rajbali Pandey-
The name Kharaoṣṭha is evidently Indian, a Prākritised
form of Saṁskrit ‘ Kharauṣṭha’. The script may have been

11.
Called so due to the fact that most of the Kharoṣṭhī characters are
irregular elongated curves and they look like the moving lips of an
ass.
Nature of Kharoṣṭhī Script
1. Stone Inscriptions
2. Metal plates and Vases
3. Birch-bark
4. wood
5. Leather
6. coins

12.
. The vast Majority of Kharoṣṭhī inscription are Buddhist records, mostly
concerning pious donations and foundations.
. Kharoṣṭhī was also extensively used in the coin legends of foreign and
Indigenous rulers
. In central Asia it occurs in the
(a) Administrative documents from niya
(b) Dharmapada manuscript
(c) Chinese Buddhist texts
.

13.
Gold Plate

14.
Kanishka Casket

15.
The Indo-Greek Hashtnagar Pedestal symbolizes
bodhisattva and Kharoṣṭhī script.
Mathura lion Capital

16.
Chronological range
.The Kharoṣṭhī script first appears in shahbazgarhi and
Mānsehra rock edicts of Aśoka. In the minor rock edicts of
Aśoka at Brahmagiri and Siddhapura , the engraver Chapaḍa
uses Kharoṣṭhī script for the last word ‘Lipikareṇa’. A large
number of coins known as the Negama coins with Kharoṣṭhī
legend on them have been discovered in the region around
Taxila which are datable to post Mauryan period.

17.
.Indo-Greek
. Indo-Scythian
. Indo-Parthian
. Kuṣāna
on some of the coins of the tribal republics such as the Audumbaras,
Kuṇindas, Vrishnis and Rajanyas have the legends in Kharoṣṭhī . The maximum
number of Kharoṣṭhī records, belonging to the Kushana period are from the
North-western India, namely the Punjab, Baluchistan, Afghanistan and
surrounding regions. It was very popular during the Kuṣāna period. Though the
script was not used in India proper after later kuṣāna period , yet it was in vogue
for a few more centuries in Chinese Turkestan. A large number of Kharoṣṭhī
inscriptions from Chinese Turkestan have came to light, among them the
noteworthy is the Khotān Dhammapada.

18.
Geographical Range

19.
Palaeographic Features
. Unlike Brāhmī and its derivatives kharoṣṭhī script did not
undergo extensive palaeographic changes in the course of its
historical development.
. Its history covers only some five centuries and takes place within
a relatively limited geographical area as opposed to Brāhmī.
. kharoṣṭhī is written from right to left
. kharoṣṭhī has a cursive ductus which would seem to reflect an
origin in a clerk’s script, written with pen and ink.

20.
. The kharoṣṭhī script contrasts with Brāhmī in that It is top
oriented, that is the distinctive features of each character tend to
be at the top instead of at the bottom as in Brāhmī script.
. The main difference in graphic principle between Brāhmī and
kharoṣṭhī is that letter for the most part does not differentiate
long and short vowels.
. Does not have clear local variants except the central Asian variety

21.
writing Technique and Lanuage
. Kharoṣṭhī is a pen style of writing.
. In Aśokan Inscription it leaves behind a foot-mark in the form of an upward
slant at the lower end the verticals on the left.
. The foot-mark is to be attribuated to the style of the writer.
. In kushana Inscription , verticals gradually thin out cursive as in natural to a
pen.
. Kharoṣṭhī script was used to write the north western Prakrit language which
was also the Gandhari Prakrit.

22.
Origin-Different theories
The Theory of Aramaic Origin
The origin of the kharoṣṭhī script is a much debated issue. The
western scholars are generally of that opinion that kharoṣṭhī script
was evolved out of the Aramaic script . The Aramaic connection
was first discussed by Edward Thomas. Edward Thomas at first
pointed out the similarity between the kharoṣṭhī and Aramaic script.
This theory further developed by Isaac Taylor, J. Halevy and Buhler.
The following arguments are produced in favour of this theory-

23.
. Resemblance between the Aramaic and the kharoṣṭhī characters.
Majority of the kharoṣṭhī signs can be most easily derived from the
Aramaic types of the fifth century B.C. which appears in the
Saqqarh and Teima inscriptions.
. The writing direction of the kharoṣṭhī script from right to the left.
. The kharoṣṭhī script has certain characteristics common with the
Aramaic script, for instance, the absence of long vowels.
. The use of kharoṣṭhī script in only those part of India which were
occupied by the Iranians the second half of the 6th B.C. up to

24.
Fourth century B.C.
. The Aramaic alphabet was adapted to Indian languages by
introducing a number of modifications and addition.
. The Aśokan edict in north –west of India at Mānsehra and
Shahbāzgrahī use for writing the word , Dipi which evidently
was borrowed from old Persian.
. The Appearance of the kharoṣṭhī script in India after Iranian
invasion.

25.
Why was this script introduced in India
Buhler suggested that the territory of kharoṣṭhī corresponds very closely
with the extent of the portion of Indian subcontinent , presumably held by the
Persians. Since Aramaic served as the official language of the Persian
empire the Aramaic alphabet could be adopted to the Gandhari (Indic)
language. Richard Salomon points to the Aśokan edicts in Aramaic that
included Prakrit word written in Aramaic Script. It confirms the close
connection of the Aramaic with the Indic language and script.
Buhler admits that kharoṣṭhī is an alphabet framed with particular regard to
the needs of clerks. It arose out of official intercourse between the scribes of
the Persian emperor and native chiefs and other authorities
A.H. Dani also admits that kharoṣṭhī was originally adopted to write the

26.
Language spoken by common people. The Persians wanted to
establish relation with their subjects for the sake of administration.
Local language was adopted but the problem was to find a vehicle
through which language could be written in such a way that it was
intelligible to local people as well as convenient to learn by the
administrative staff who familiar with Aramaic. Thus it was created
from Aramaic.
B. N. Mukherjee holds the same view with Buhler that the
kharoṣṭhī was created by the Achaemenids in the Indian Provinces
of their empire in 5th century B.C. he explains that their official
script was Aramaic while their subjects in the Indian provinces
used Brāhmī to write Prakrit. The script was created because the

27.
Aramaic knowing administrators wanted to write Prakrit in a script
that was based on Aramaic and would be understood with a little
efforts by the Prakrit-knowing and Brāhmī- using subjects.
Indian origin
R.B. Panday on the other hand, refutes thoroughly the above
mentioned Aramaic origin theory and propounds Indian origin of
Kharoṣṭhī Script. He examined the arguments in favour of the
Aramaic origin of the Kharoṣṭhī Script one by one:

28.
. The resemblance between the Aramaic and Kharoṣṭhī Script
is very superfluous and accidental as every script is structurally
composed of lines, curves, angles, hooks etc.
. The direction of the Kharoṣṭhī Script from the right to the left is
no guarantee that it was derived from the Semitic source.
. The absence of long vowels in Kharoṣṭhī Script is due to the fact
that it was used for Prākrit language which avoid long vowels, big
compounds and difficult ligatures.

29.
. Buhler does not give any reason as to why the word ‘Dipi’ should be
regarded exclusively Persian or non Sanskritic. This word can easily be
derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Dip’ to shine, to be illustrious.
. Resemblance between the two scripts is so remote and contact between India
and Persia was so formal that the question of adoption could not rise. Persian
rulers did not use kharoṣṭhī for their official documents. The earliest
definitely datable kharoṣṭhī inscription so for known are Aśoka belonging to
3rd century B.C. All the other kharoṣṭhī inscription found in Baluschistan,
Afghanistan and central Asia are of later date.
The long association of the Kharoṣṭhī with foreign powers – Persian, Indo-
Greeks, Scythians, Parthians, Kuṣāna- created some sort of aversion towards

30.
It in rest of India. With the rise of imperial Guptas and the upsurge of the
unification of the country and nationalism, the Kharoṣṭhī script was discarded
and died out along with its official foreign support. Its place in the north-
western part was taken by Brāhmī.
Ref.
. Indian Palaeography, Rajbali Panday
. Kharoṣṭhī script , S.J. Mangalam
. Indian Epigraphy, Richard Salomon
. The development of the Kharoṣṭhī script , C.C. Dasgupta

31.
Kharoṣṭhī script

32.
Numbers and Numerical Notation

33.
Shahbazgarhi Rock Edict

34.
shahbazgarhi Major Rock Edict

35.
Shahbazgarhi Rock Inscription