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All About The Features of Ancient Scripts of India

April 18, 2024 1171 0

Introduction

Ancient scripts of India have been pivotal in recording language and communication in India. Two primary ancient scripts are Brahmi and Kharosthi, which have significantly influenced the development of various modern scripts.

Features of Various Ancient Scripts of India

ANCIENT SCRIPTS FEATURES AND SIGNIFICANCE
Brahmi Script
  • It is considered as the precursor to many modern Indian scripts, including Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Odia, Assamese, and Bengali.
  • It is written from left to right.
Grantha Script
  • Widely used from the 6th to the 20th centuries in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
  • Used for writing Sanskrit and Manipravalam.
  • It is a Brahmic script, evolving from Brahmi in Tamil Nadu, and a precursor to Malayalam, Tigalari, and Sinhala scripts.
Gupta Script
  • Associated with the Gupta Empire and used for Sanskrit.
  • Descended from Brahmi.
  • Gave rise to various scripts, including Nagari, Sharada, Siddham, Devanagari, Gurmukhi (for Punjabi), Assamese, Bengali, and Tibetan scripts.
Gurmukhi Script
  • It was standardized during the 16th century by Guru Angad and derived from the Sarada script.
  • Used for writing the entire Guru Granth Sahib and is commonly used by Sikhs and Hindus for Punjabi language.
Indus Script
Kharosthi Script
  • It is considered the Sister script of Brahmi and was used in ancient Gandhara to write Gandhari Prakrit and Sanskrit.
  • James Prinsep deciphered it.
  • Includes numerals similar to Roman numerals.
  • Written mostly right to left, but some inscriptions show left to right direction.
Modi Script
  • Historically, it was used to write Marathi and other languages.
  • It was Marathi’s official script until the 20th century when Devanagari was promoted.
  • Known to have been used for Urdu, Kannada, Gujarati, Hindi, and Tamil.
Sarada Script
  • It developed around the 8th century and was written in Abiguda style.
  • Initially used for Sanskrit and Kashmiri, but later limited to Kashmir.
  • At present, it is rarely used except for ceremonial purposes by the Kashmiri Pandit community.
Urdu Script
  • It is written from right to left by modifying the Persian alphabet.
  • It was influential in the development of the Nastaliq style of Perso-Arabic script.
  • Its expanded form, Shahmukhi, is used for writing other Indo-Aryan languages like Punjabi and Saraiki.
Vatteluttu Script
  • It was developed from Tamil-Brahmi and written in Abiguda style.
  • Used to write Granthi, Pallava, and Tamil scripts.

 

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Conclusion

  • The ancient scripts of India serve as invaluable links to the past, enabling the preservation and transmission of knowledge across generations. 
    • Through the intricate glyphs and structures of the ancient scripts of India, they bear witness to the diverse linguistic and cultural tapestry of the Indian subcontinent, enriching the world’s heritage.
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