This document provides an overview of various ancient scripts including Hieroglyphics, Cuneiform, Indus Valley script, Brahmi, and Kharoshthi. It discusses the origins and development of these scripts, key individuals involved in their decipherment, and ongoing debates around certain scripts like the Indus Valley script. The challenges around deciphering ancient scripts are also summarized, particularly the lack of bilingual texts or lengthy inscriptions for the Indus Valley script.
Military Administration and Ethics of War Virag Sontakke
This presentation is prepared for the Graduation students to get basic idea and general information’s regarding the topic. Overall content of presentations is not through and complete, also required further additions.
Excavation Methods in Archaeological Research & StudiesPrachya Adhyayan
Excavation is the scientific way and method of removing objects and uncovering stationary features that have been concealed by later deposits. In other words, excavation is the removal of the matrix in order to discover and retrieve archaeological data from beneath the ground, thereby revealing the three dimensional structure of the data and matrix both vertically and horizontally.
Military Administration and Ethics of War Virag Sontakke
This presentation is prepared for the Graduation students to get basic idea and general information’s regarding the topic. Overall content of presentations is not through and complete, also required further additions.
Excavation Methods in Archaeological Research & StudiesPrachya Adhyayan
Excavation is the scientific way and method of removing objects and uncovering stationary features that have been concealed by later deposits. In other words, excavation is the removal of the matrix in order to discover and retrieve archaeological data from beneath the ground, thereby revealing the three dimensional structure of the data and matrix both vertically and horizontally.
This paper is meant to read together with the paper ‘The reconfirmation and reinforcement of the Indus script thesis: a logical assessment and inquiry as to the elusive and enigmatic nature of this script‘, which was published in the ICFAI Journal of History and Culture in January 2011. In the aforementioned paper, we had clearly shown that the Indus script used in the Indus Valley civilization which flourished from 2600 BC to 1900 BC, was a logo-syllabic script. In this paper, we show that the case for the lost manuscript hypothesis has never been stronger than it has been in the past one decade. This hypothesis has had many adherents even in the West even earlier when very little of the Indus had been excavated, but few will now deny that no other scenario is likely. This hypothesis was earlier based on hunches, now its adherents can base it on science and valid epistemology. The Indus Valley Civilization has always amazed legions of archeologists since the 1920’s and has been taught to students all over the world: it can now take its pride of place among old world civilizations. This paper also introduces Logo-syllabic thesis B as opposed to the older logo-syllabic thesis A and lays bare the differences between the two. We insist that only approaches such as those detailed in this paper can be applied for the study of the Indus script given the low quantum of archaeological data in relation to the total known size of the IVC. (This ratio is the lowest for all known civilizations). This paper is meant to be read after ‘Syncretism and Acculturation in Ancient India; a new nine phase acculturation model explaining the process of transfer of power from the Harappans to the Indo-Aryans’ which was published in two parts in the peer-reviewed ICFAI journal of History and culture in January 2009 and January 2010. This paper detailed methods to reconstruct the languages spoken in the IVC.
The earliest known example of an Indus seal dates to 1873 in the form of a drawing
published by Alexander Cunningham. Since then, thousands of examples of the Indus script have
been discovered, and the Indus script has been subject to very serious analysis by many scholars
from all over the world and still continues to fascinate, enchant and frustrate innumerable
researchers who have made many a vain attempt to understand its true nature and meaning. The
nature of the Indus script remains elusive and there are currently many different schools of
thought – some think it represented a Dravidian language, some think it represented an Indo-
Aryan language, while some are convinced it belongs to a third language group. Some argue that
it represented a language while others argue it was only a complex ‘symbol system’, either with or
without a linguistic content. In an earlier paper, ‘Syncretism and Acculturation in Ancient India; A
new Nine Phase Acculturation model explaining the process of transfer of power from the
Harappans to the Indo-Aryans’, which was published in two parts in the ICFAI Journal of History
and Culture (January 2009 and 2010), we proposed methods to reconstruct the languages of the
Harappans with ‘smoking guns’, and concluded that the Harappans spoke neither a Dravidian
language nor Sanskrit but were intensely multi-linguistic and spoke several languages which
included remote ancestors of languages which much later came to be known as Prakrits. In this
paper, we take a parsimonious approach with regard to the Indus script, attempt to understand its
nature, examine the logical flaws of current theories with regard to the Indus script and conclude
that it is impossible to draw any hasty conclusions about the nature of the Indus script without
building rock solid theoretical models and that the Indus script issue is probably less simple than
the most simplistic of theories make it out to be. More importantly, we also refute ‘Sproat’s
smoking gun’ which cannot prove that the Indus writing system was not stable, that is was not a
writing system or that it did not have a linguistic component. We will conclude, that all things
considered, further research is only likely to reinforce the idea that it was a logo-syllabic script
and that any other scenario is highly unlikely.
Sujay alphabetic scripts and_other_forms_of_literacy in post-harappan indiaSujay Rao Mandavilli
This paper brings together all available evidence for literacy in Post-Harappan India, still popularly
known as Iron age Vedic India, most of which have been endorsed by mainstream researchers in some
way or the other in the recent past and brings into attention the need to revise all earlier models dealing
with literacy in Post-Harappan India to bring them in line with latest acculturation models and mainstream
models of the development of alphabetic scripts. More importantly we refute the thesis that the
Archaemenids introduced the alphabetic script into India. This theory has always been controversial and
has been challenged by several mainstream researchers, both Western and Indian, for several decades.
It is hopelessly antiquated now and a complete non-starter when all recent evidence and data is taken
into account and no mainstream researcher will even be able to consider such a theory in view of the
evidence, reasoning, logic and views of other scholars presented in the paper. The theory that Brahmi
was a derivative of the earlier Aramaic script has been somewhat more popular, though still controversial,
and we refute this theory as well. We also explain why updating theories based on latest research can
have a bearing on research on alphabetic systems in general. All conclusions reached in this paper are
presented using a figure-it-out-for-yourself approach and only the views of mainstream researchers are
presented. Readers are strongly advised to exercise their own judgment as usual.
In our previous papers, we had dealt with the Aryan problem, the identity of the Harappans, the origin of Brahmi and the Indus script, besides other related topics. We had also observed that the autochthonous Aryan theory and the Vedic Indus theories were untenable, and that the conventional theory that immigrants speaking the PIE, or one of the constituents of the PIE, now to be known as Base Indo-European, migrated to India from Central Asia would still hold good. We had proposed that the Dravidian and the Paramunda Indus theories would be untenable, and that the Harappans were intensely multi-lingual, speaking languages that were remote ancestors of the Prakrits of the Gangetic plains. We had shown how linguistic transformations had taken place: this issue was studied as an interplay between two language groups: an ancestor of Vedic Sanskrit spread in a part of India, died out as a spoken language, and became a liturgical language, and a lingua franca of the elite. The speakers of IE languages then took on the languages of the descendants of the Indus for everyday use due to the transfer of populations to the Ganga-Yamuna doab. Sanskrit then re-influenced the languages of the region, even after it disappeared as a spoken language. We had also discussed the origin of the term ‘Aryan’ which had a cultural connotation in the Rig Veda. We had also proposed that the migrations into India perhaps took place in around 2750 BC, long before the Rig Veda was compiled. In this paper, we discuss the importance of modernizing Indology for various fields of science and the need to replace the now effectively dead Mid-Nineteenth Century school of Indology and Marxist historiography with modern paradigms. We also explain why inaction could be fraught with disastrous consequences. This paper may therefore be construed as a clarion call to scholars from all over the world to take up research on Ancient India, and to raise awareness among scholars of related fields of study. The scientific and the intellectual rewards associated with such an endeavour would be enormous. We also attempt to lay out the contours and identify the key drivers for Twenty-first century Indology.
The Quest For the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate,...Sadanand Patwardhan
Edwin Bryant surveys the evidence [linguistic, philological, archaeological, carbon dating, etc.] and interpretations put forward on the highly contested and vexatious debate about the Original Homeland of the Rig Vedic people, who called themselves Aryan. The allied theme of movement of Aryans -whether into Indian subcontinent or out of Sapta-Sindhu area [between Indus and Saraswati rivers]- is also explored.
This presentation about a timeline of the history of linguistics is being improved by adding 15 slides by the presenters named Sanchez, Kenneth Jay, Ferolino, Charez A., and Medina, Madelyn P.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology:
Ethnobotany in herbal drug evaluation,
Impact of Ethnobotany in traditional medicine,
New development in herbals,
Bio-prospecting tools for drug discovery,
Role of Ethnopharmacology in drug evaluation,
Reverse Pharmacology.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
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2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
3. Introduction
• Language precedes script.
• Script : A sign of civilization.
• Scripts help in transference of knowledge.
• Initial seeds of writing : Traced in prehistoric
rock paintings.
13. A giant copy of the
Rosetta Stone
inFigeac, France,
the birthplace of
Jean-François
Champollion
14. Demands for return
• 2002: British Museum, the Louvre, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin and the
Metropolitan Museum in New York City—issued a joint statement declaring that
"objects acquired in earlier times must be viewed in the light of different
sensitivities and values reflective of that earlier era" and that "museums serve
not just the citizens of one nation but the people of every nation
• 2003: Calls for the Rosetta Stone to be returned to Egypt were made by Zahi
Hawass, then Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
• 2005: British Museum presented Egypt with a full-sized fibreglass colour-
matched replica of the stele
• John Ray : "the day may come when the stone has spent longer in the British
Museum than it ever did in Rosetta.
19. Decipherment
• 1778: German surveyor Carsten Niebuhr visited Behistun in around 1764 for Frederick
Vth of Denmark & published a copy of the inscription in the account of his journeys.
• Niebuhr's transcriptions were used by others in their efforts to decipher the Old
Persian cuneiform script.
• Georg Friedrich Grotefend: deciphered ten of the 37 symbols of Old Persian by 1802
• 1838: Henry Rawlinson an officer of the British East India Company army assigned to
the forces of the Shah of Iran, deciphered old cuneiform.
• Rawlinson, along with several other scholars, most notably Edward Hincks, Julius
Oppert, William Henry Fox Talbot, and Edwin Norris, either working separately or in
collaboration, eventually deciphered these inscriptions
• The translation of the Old Persian sections of the Behistun Inscription paved the way
to the subsequent ability to decipher the Elamite and Babylonian parts of the text.
24. The Beginning
• The hornets' nest stirred by Wheeler: "Who knows
what the residents of Mohenjo Daro called their city?"
• 1929: G R Hunter, an Oxford PhD candidate submitted
his thesis, an analysis of 750 inscribed objects from
Mohenjo Daro and Harappa--everything that had been
excavated up to 1927 and listed all the signs in the
inscriptions.
• 1930s: Henry Heras turned his attention to the Indus
Valley script
25. B.B. Lal
• 1966: Concluded the texts were normally
read from right to left
• 1975: “The Indus Script: Some
Observations Based on Archaeology”
• 2015: Bryan K. Wells commented “ the
only fact that most researchers can agree
on
• 2018: Two scientists working at The
Institute of Mathematical Sciences,
Chennai, (IMSc) figured out a way to
computationally estimate whether a
language is written from left to right or
otherwise. Most interestingly, they have
studied the Indus script and calculated that
it must flow from right to left.
26. I.Mahadevan
• 1953: IAS. 2009: Padam Shri
• Started his research on the Indus script following a brush
with W. W. Hunter's book on the Indus Script at India's
Central Secretariat Library,Delhi.
• 1970: Offered the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship to do his
doctoral research on the Indus Script.
• 1977:Mahadevan published his first book “Indus Script:
Concordance and Tables”
• 1991 to 2003: Research on Tamil epigraphy
• 2003: Resumed his work on Indus script
• 2014: “”Dravidian Proof of the Indus Script via the Rig Veda:
A Case Study”
• 2017: Toponyms, Directions and Tribal Names in the Indus
Script.”
27. Mahadevan’s Methodology
• Mahadevan has collaborated with computer analysts at the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research in Mumbai to compile a list of 500 Indus epigraphs.
• The repository depicts the number of times each sign occurs.
• The list was used recently in a computer analysis by a team led by a University of
Washington computer scientist, Rajesh Rao.
• The team compared the pattern of symbols in the Indus artifacts to words in
contemporary English, ancient Sanskrit and old Tamil. They then repeated the
calculations for samples of symbols that are not spoken languages such as DNA
sequences from the human genome.
28. Asko Parpola
• Current professor emeritus of Indology and South Asian
Studies at the University of Helsinki.
• Indus script "most likely to have belonged to Dravidian
family”
• G.Posshel doesn’t agree.
• Investigating the inscriptions using computer analysis.
proposed readings of many signs
• 1994: Deciphering the Indus Script
• 2008: “”Is the Indus script indeed not a writing system?
In: Airāvati: Felicitation vol. in honor of I. Mahadevan
• 2009: Received Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Classical Tamil
Award
• 2015: Awarded India's Presidential Award of Certificate
of Honour in Sanskrit.
29. Jonathan Mark Kenoyer
• 2020: “Origin and Development
of the Indus Script: Insights from
Harappa and other sites”
31. Indus Script Hoax
• 1999: "historians N S Rajaram
and Natwar Jha claim to
decipher more than 2,000
Harappan seals."
• Mahadevan’s & Parpola’s initial
scepticism turned to howls of
disbelief--followed by charges
of fraud.
• They showed Rajaram and
Jha's methods were so flexible
that virtually any desired
message could be read into the
texts.
• Rajaram and Jha's horse seal
was a fraud, created from a
computer distortion of a
broken unicorn bull seal
excavated from Harappa
32. Is Indus script a script at all?
• 2004: Steve Farmer, Richard Sproat
(University of Illinois) and Michael Witzel
(Harvard University) stunned the world of
ancient Indus scholarship with the claim
that the Indus sign system was not writing
(their joint paper, The Collapse of the
Indus-Script : The Myth of a Literate
Harappan Civilization
• They based their reasoning on computer
analysis of Indus sign properties apparently
not in common with other ancient written
languages.
• The lack of lengthy inscriptions common to
other early written languages is another
major factor in their argument.
33.
34.
35. Counter-Arguments
• Asko Parpola, a linguist at Finland’s University of Helsinki:“There is no chance it is not a
script; this is a fully formed system. It was a phonetic script. archaeologist Parpola
responded by showing that sign repetitions do occur in the inscriptions
• Gregory Possehl, Linguist of the University of Pennsylvania: It is not possible to “prove” the
script cannot be deciphered.
• J. Mark Kenoyer of the University of Wisconsin, Madison: “I categorically disagree that the
script does not reflect a language,”
• Mahadevan: "Seal-texts tend to be short universally. The Indus script appears to consist
mostly of word-signs. Such scripts have a lesser number of characters and repetitions than
a script where characters represent syllables-- Egyptian hieroglyphs for instance.
36. Is Indus script a script at all? • Computer scientists have shown
that the Harappan scripts tend to
resemble highly ordered writing
systems, similar to computer
code sequences or DNA codes.
• Various probability theories also
show that the Harappan
inscriptions show a certain extent
of predictability, which is a
common feature of true writing
37. • Researchers count between 400 and 700 distinct Indus
signs.
• In part, their estimates differ because of subjectivity in
judging how much variation is permissible for a single sign.
• Then they look for patterns in the distribution and
frequency of signs.
• For instance, some characters may commonly occur at the
beginning of lines or others may usually cluster together.
• characters suggests the script — if it was writing — was
likely logosyllabic, meaning signs represented full words as
well as syllabic sounds.
38. Decipherment
Challenges
• 1) Proper names: As for the
Indus, we don’t know any
historical figures or certain place
names.
• 2) A bi- or trilingual inscription:
Records the same text in both
known and unknown writing
systems..
• 3)The language the script
transcribes:
• 4) Brevity of inscriptions: With an
average of just 4 or 5 signs, most
inscriptions poses a challenge for
decipherment efforts. Other
civilizations with a writing system
have left examples that are
hundreds of characters long. The
longest example of Indus script,
by contrast, is less than 30
characters
Four key elements for decipherment so
far absent from the Indus corpus
42. 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.
43.
44. Decipherment of Brahmi
• 1785 : Inscriptions of the 6th century CE in late Brahmi were deciphered by Charles Wilkins .
• 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 Karle 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.
• Early 1930’s: James Princep
• 1938: Full reading by James Princep.
45. 1834: Attempts by Rev. J.
Stevenson to identify intermediate
early Brahmi characters from the
Karla Caves (circa 1st century CE)
46. 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.
50. Decipherment of Kharoshthi
• 1833: Charles Masson excavated bronze coins and other materials from Begram.
• Masson realised that many coins issued in the region by Greek dynasties contained a
translation into a previously-unknown script on their reverse.
• 1835: Masson sent his progress, along with ink impressions and other copies of his
collection, to the Royal Asiatic Society where metallurgist and scholar James Prinsep began
decipherment.
• 1836: C. L. Grotefend
• 1836: A. Court discovered a stone inscription in Kharosthi at Shahbazgarhi
51. Decipherment
• Prinsep's and Grotefend's efforts blocked by failure to realize that the language was
an Indian one.
• 1830s: Christian Lassen, who published his findings on Kharosthi decipherment and
phonetics. Bble to improve upon Prinsep’s formulations from recognising the
language as a Prakrit, rather than Páli as suggested by Prinsep.
• 1838: Prinsep announced his discovery of the true Indie character of the Kharosthi
• 1846: Edwin Morris -first reliable transcription of Shahbazgarhi inscription.
• Mid 1800s: E. Norris published a nearly completed table of deciphered akṣaras
• 1863: J. Dowson compiled the entirety of available Kharosthi documents
57. 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.
60. • 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.
• Area of study: From beginning of writing.
• Limited to historic and medieval period.
61. 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.
62. 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
64. 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.
65. 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.
66. 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.
67. 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.
70. 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.
71. 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
72. 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.