DR SAHA HISTORY

INDIAN HISTORY

Epigraphy : The Study of Inscription

By drsahahistory on 14/05/2021 0

The word epigraphy is derived from the Greek word – epi means on or upon and Graphie
 pg p y p p p
means write . Old writings engraved on different materials like stone, copper plate, temple
walls etc are known as inscription. The study of inscription is called epigraphy. When a
discipline of such study was established individual scholars were referred as epigraphers
or epigraphists.

The study of inscriptions was rst practiced by ancient Greek scholars, Thucydides and
Polybius who took an interest in ancient Egyptian and other inscription. Later European
scholars during the renaissance took an interest in Latin and Greek inscription and started
to develop methodologies towards studding epigraphy.

In India, the study of inscription began in the second half 18th century A.D, by the
European scholars. A pioneer epigraphist was Charles Wilkins, who rst published an old
inscription in Sanskrit in 1781. In 1837 James Prinsep, successfully deciphered the early
Brahmi script, from then epigraphy became an important part in Archaeology and history.
Inscriptions are mainly divided into two categories: stone inscription and copper plate.
There is an isolate category of inscription, which is called edict (Ashokan Inscriptions),
because they give the message of morality and piety.  Most of the stone inscriptions are
donatives in nature and they are engraved on temple wall, boulders, Sati stone etc. the
copper plate inscription mainly bears the record of land grants.

Epigraphy is the main hands of archaeology, which helps to understand the life and culture
of the people. It is also called the back bone of history and culture. From the time of
Maurya to the early medieval periods its play an important role as a primary source
materials.
Harappan seals (2500-1500 B.C) are the earliest example of inscription in Indian sub-
continent, but still not it is not deciphered properly.  Ashoka was the rst who used the
decipherable script. Brahmi is the earliest script and it has been noticed in the Ashokan
edicts.  Besides Brahmi , Ashoka also used , Kharosthi, Aramaic and Greek scripts to
engrave his edicts mainly in the north western parts of India. However the Brahmi script is
the most important script, which was found in the edicts of Ashoka, it was source for the
development of the various scripts of Indian sub- continent. Various regional scripts also
evolved from the Brahmi script so it is called mother of all scripts.  

Epigraphy helps to know the origin, structure and development of languages of India.
Ashokan edicts are in Prakrit language, but in north india it aws replaced by Sanskrit about
the end of 3rd century A.D. during the Gupta period Sanskrit became the main language of
the inscription. Otherwise their contemporary rulers also took Sanskrit to engrave
inscription. But the copper plate grants of the Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas are engraved
in both Sanskrit and Tamil.

Thus epigraphy is very important not only it is a source material for the reconstruct of
ancient history and cultures, also it is an important source for the study of paleography
and languages.   

The epigraphy branch of the Archaeological Survey of India was established at Bangalore
in 1886. The activities of the branch were to copy inscription from stones, stone pillars,
boulders, temple walls and copper plates. Besides they also edit and publish their
collections. In 1903, the branch was shifted to Ooty and in 1966 it was again shifted to
Mysore.   Dr. E.  Hultzch was the rst government epigraphists in India. 

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