The Development of the Bengali Script
Summary
The development of the Bengali script is explored through its historical evolution and connections to earlier scripts. Scholars like Langdon and Biiler have debated the origins of the Brahmi script, with some linking it to the Indus Valley script due to similarities in symbols. However, the Indus script's right-to-left direction contrasts with Brahmi's left-to-right orientation, though transitional forms and exceptions (e.g., Eran coin legends, Asokan edicts) suggest possible directional shifts over time. Jayaswal proposed newly discovered Vikramkhol rock signs (c. 1500 BCE) as a missing link between Indus and Brahmi, but Fabri criticized this as hasty. The earliest Bengali inscription, the 398 B.C.E. Mahasthiun inscription, shows transitional features between Mauryan and Brahmi scripts. By the Gupta period (4th–7th centuries CE), the script diversified into Eastern and Western varieties, differentiated by test letters like 784 and 704. Key Eastern variety examples include the Susunia rock inscription (c. 3rd century CE) and later plates like the Sarnath and Damodarpur inscriptions. The script's evolution reflects gradual transformations, such as the letter "cha" shifting from right-facing in early forms to left-facing in modern Bengali. Despite gaps in transitional evidence, artifacts like the Sunderban and Chittagong plates (12th–13th centuries) illustrate intermediate stages.
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Conclusion
The Development of the Bengali Script concludes with a nuanced exploration of script evolution, emphasizing transitional evidence and scholarly debates. While the Indus Valley script's right-to-left direction contrasts with Brahmi's left-to-right orientation, the analysis underscores the transformative potential of extended temporal gaps, exemplified by the gradual reorientation of characters like *cha* from rightward to leftward and eventual standardization in modern Bengali. The study highlights pivotal artifacts—such as the Sunderban and Chittagong plates—as critical bridges spanning the Asokan and medieval periods, enabling the tracing of linguistic continuity. However, it cautions against overreliance on fragmentary evidence, noting the unresolved controversies surrounding pre-Asokan inscriptions like the Vikramkhol signs. Ultimately, the research affirms the Bengali script's organic progression from ancient roots, shaped by both gradual innovation and intermittent archaeological discoveries, while acknowledging persistent uncertainties in reconstructing India's earliest writing systems.