for students of BA VI Sem BHU

1. The Epigraphical Code:
Decipherment of Ancient Scripts
By
Prachi Virag Sontakke

2. Introduction
• Language precedes script.
• Script : A sign of civilization.
• Scripts help in transference of knowledge.
• Initial seeds of writing : Traced in prehistoric rock paintings.

3. Types of scripts
• Brahmi,
Kharoshthi
• Cuneiform
• Hieroglyphic,
Cuneiform
• Hieroglyphic
Pictographic Transitional
Phonetic
Ideographic

4. Scripts delt with in this presentation
• Hieroglyphs
• Cuneiform
• Indus valley
script
• Brahmi
• Kharoshthi

5. Hieroglyphics

6. Rosetta stone

7. Cuneiform script

10. Cuneiform script: Behistun inscription

13. Indus script

15. Decipherment of Brahmi
• 1785 : Inscriptions of the 6th century CE in late Brahmi were deciphered by Charles Wilkins .
• Early 1930’s: James Princep
• 1834: T. S. Burt's procurement of reliable facsimiles of the inscriptions on the Allahabad
pillar.
• 1834: Attempts by Rev. J. Stevenson to identify intermediate early Brahmi characters from
the Karla Caves (circa 1st century CE).
• 1836: Norwegian scholar Christian Lassen who used a bilingual Greek-Brahmi coin of Indo-
Greek king Agathocles and similarities with the Pali script to correctly and securely identify
several Brahmi letters.
• 1938: Full reading by James Princep.

16. Brahmi

17. 1834: Attempts by Rev.
J. Stevenson to identify
intermediate early
Brahmi characters from
the Karla Caves (circa 1st
century CE)

18. 1836 : Norwegian scholar Christian Lassen used the bilingual Greek-Brahmi coinage
of Indo-Greek king Agathocles to correctly achieve in the first secure decipherment of
several letters of the Brahmi script.

19. Firoz Shah Tuglaq : Delhi Topara pillar
Transportation of pillar was highly demanding, requiring soldiers
(both cavalry and foot) to pitch in. A 42-wheeled cart was used to
transport it to the river bank, where it was loaded onto a large
boat. The cart required 8,400 men to move it, 200 to each wheel.

21. 1837:James Princep

23. Decipherment of Kharoshthi
• Christian Lassen
• 1835: James Princep
• 1836: C. L. Grotefend
• Prinsep's and Grotefend's efforts were largely blocked by their failure to realize
that the language of the unknown script was an Indian one.
• 1838: Prinsep announced his discovery of the true Indie character of the
Kharosthi
• 1846: Edwin Morris -first reliable transcription of a stone inscription in Kharosthi
at Shahbazgarhi which had been discovered by A. Court in 1836

24. Kharoshthi

26. Epigraphy: Meaning
• Epigraphy: derived from two Greek words ‘epi’ = ‘on or upon’ & ‘graphie’ =
‘to write
• Word ‘Inscription’ is also commonly used as a synonymous with epigraph.
• Derived from a Latin word ‘Inscribere’ = ‘to write upon
• D.C.Sircar: Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions. Inscription literally means
anything engraved on some object.
• J.F.Fleet: The inscription are notifications, very frequently of an official
character and generally more or less of a public nature, which recite facts,
simple or complex, with or without dates and were intended to be lasting
records of the matters to which they refer.
• Richard Salomon: Epigraphy is concerned with the study of inscriptions and
their contents rather than with the forms, varieties, and historical
development of the scripts in which they are written.

27. Nature of
epigraphy Epigraphy
Dating
Variety of
Content
Meant for
Public
Observation
Variety of
Mediums
Variety of
Techniques
Reconstruct

29. Scope of epigraphy
• Area of study: From beginning of writing.
• Limited to historic and medieval period.
• Deals with study of script, medium, methodology, content,
interpretation, dating.
• Theme : Vast. Political dynastic history, social, religious,
administrative, economic, educational, geographic etc conditions of a
particular period/reign/region.

30. Palaeography
• Palaeo = Old, Graphy = Study
• Science of studying ancient or old scripts
• Evolution of scripts related to time and region.
• An essential and important part of Epigraphical
studies.
• Focus on the script & related decipherment of the
inscriptions.
• No concern with the contents of the records.
• Helpful for studying the development of Indian
scripts and languages.
• Useful to reveal many ancient scripts which had
been shrouded in mystery for centuries.
• Helps in dating of inscriptions.

31. Palaeographic concerns
• Orientation of individual signs and letters
• Direction of writing
• Headlines
• Grouping of letters and words:
• Punctuation
• Pagination
• Corrections
• Abbreviations
• Omissions
• Auspicious symbols and ornamentation

32. Epigraphical studies
Interpreting
Analysing
Deciphering
Stamping

33. Epigraphy as a source of history
• Corroborates information gleamed from other
sources: Nasik inscription, Prayag Prasashti,
Rock edit 13th of Ashoka etc.
• Brings novel information: Hathigumpha
inscription.
• Dating of events: Ashokan edicts.

34. Political history
• Royal genealogy: Junagarh inscription, Prayag Prashasti, Poona
copper plate etc
• Battles: Aihole inscription, Rock edit 13 of Ashoka, Nasik inscription
• Extent of empire: Prayag Prashasti, Hathigumpha inscription,
Mandsore inscription etc
• Contemporary kings: Rock edict 2nd & 13th of Ashoka, Hathigumpha
inscription, Prayag Prashasti etc.
• Administration: Ashokan inscriptions, Uttarmerur inscription,
Junagarh inscription etc.

35. Social history
• Social stratification: Banskheda copper plate, Koh
copper plate etc
• Social customs: Gadhwa copper plate, Eran
inscription, Brahmadeyam inscription etc
• Education & learning: Nalanda inscriptions.
• Dance and music: Hathigumpha inscription
• Dress & Ornaments: Mandsore inscription,
Sarnath inscription, Nasik inscription etc.
• Literature: Junagarh inscription, Prayag Prasashti,
Aihole inscription etc.

36. Economy & Trade
• Irrigation: Hathigumpha inscription, Junagadh
inscription etc.
• Guilds: Mandsore inscription, Indore copper plate,
Karle inscriptions, Sanchi inscriptions etc.
• Land grants: Banskheda copper plates, Poona copper
plates, Damodarpur copper plates etc.
• Taxation: Rummendei inscription, Chahman
inscription etc.
• Currency: Nasik inscription, Nanaghat inscription,
Gadwa inscription etc.
• Bhitari sealing: ‘Agneyas Sri Madhusadan’ =iron ore ?
• Migration of traders: Mandsore inscription etc.

37. Religious conditions
• Buddhism: Ashokan inscriptions, Sanchi inscriptions, Bharhut
inscriptions, Nasik cave inscription, Sarnath image inscription, Mankuwar
inscription, Khalimpur inscription etc.
• Jainism: Hathigumpha inscription, Durjanpur inscription, Paharpur
copper plate etc.
• Vaishnavism: Besanagar Pillar inscription, Nanaghat inscription, Mehrauli
pillar inscription, Poona copper plate etc.
• Shaivism: Mathura pillar inscription, Udaygiri cave inscription,
Karamdanda inscription, Madhuban copper plate etc.
• Sun worship: Martand inscription, Indore copper plate, Mandsore
inscription
• Religious tolerance.

38. Geography &
Palaeoenvironment
• Famine: Mahasthan inscription + Sohgaura
inscription
• Excessive rain: Junagarh inscription
• Geography: Prayag Prashasti

39. Regional contacts
• Mathura well inscription: Kharoshthi
• Mathura lion sculpture inscription: Kharoshthi
• Chunar inscription: ‘Ateeva koshah’ in Kharoshthi.
• Ashokan Rock Edict at Brahmagiri: ‘Chaparena Likhite Lipikaren’ in
Kharoshthi.

40. Problems and Prospects in Epigraphical Studies
• Weathering + Neglect + Vandalism
• Cannot find the distinctive forms of the letters
Palaeographical
problems
• Use of eras and chronograms complicate the
chronology
• Dateless inscriptions.
Chronology/dating
• Names referred to as epithets.
• Existence of the same name and title
Difficulty in identifying
the kings/Persons
• Names cited in the inscriptions vs. their modern
geography
Difficulty in identifying
the kings/Persons

41. Books
• A.H.Dani : Indian Palaeography
• B.S.Upasak: History & Palaeography of Mauryan scripts.
• E. Hultzsch: Inscriptions of Asoka.
• G.H.Ojha: Indian Palaeography.
• G.Buhler: Indian Palaeography.
• D.C.Sircar: Indian Epigraphy.
• D.C.Sircar: Select Inscriptions Vol. I
• Richard Salomon: Indian epigraphy A guide to the study of inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit and other
Indo Aryan languages.
• P.K.Agrawala: Imperial Gupta Epigraphs
• T.P.Verma: The Palaeography of Brāhmī Script
• Corpus Inscription Indicarum : Relevant Volumes.