Articles on Ancient Indian Writing
Reflections on Manuscriptology: Forays into Indian Paradigms of Knowledge Management
By Dipti Tripathi · Sambodhi
This article is a written version of a keynote address delivered by Dipti Tripathi at the World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver. Tripathi reflects on India’s long manuscript tradition and its significance for understanding the country’s intellectual…
THE INDIAN SCRIPTS
By Bharti Shelat · Sambodhi, 2007
The Indian Scripts traces the development of writing in South Asia. References in Panini’s Astadhyayi and Kautilya’s Arthashastra show that script study was integral to ancient education. Asoka’s inscriptions use terms like lipi and dipi, indicating that…
Origin of Indus Valley Script
By Atul Krishna Sur · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1933
The origins of the Indus Valley script have long been debated. This short article reviews prevailing hypotheses, noting that while most scripts of north India derive from Brahmi, the ultimate origin of Brahmi itself is uncertain. Scholars once argued that…