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AUGUST, 1895.)
BOOK NOTICE.
247
frud mention made of a proclaimed thief (likhitakó able variations in the forms of its signs point to chôró), and of the education of a boy at school in the fact that it must have had a long history Tékhd writing,' ganand arithmetic,' and rúpa before the time of Asoka. Not only are there
forms. By the latter, Dr. Bühler ingeniously variations in forin, but instances occur of its understands the bazar and agricultural system of being written from right to left instead of from accounts now taught in schools, after boys have left to right. The varying forms are capable of been taught the simple rules of arithmetic. In being classified according to locality, and so far apcient times, when coins wererare, specimens were from the characters being homogeneous, they placed before the pupils, which they had to handle may be divided into two main divisions - a norand look at, in order to learn their form, weight, thern, and a southern, - each with sub-varieties. and marks. Thus the lékha, gañand and rúpa of There are also differences between archaic and the Mahdvagga correspond to the three "R" advanced forms, all of which Dr. Bühler discusses still taught in indigenous Indian schools. Dr. in great detail. He finally concludes :Bühler refers only to the present custom of
To me it seems that these (peculiarities) are most easily Western India, but my experience of the schools
explained, on the supposition that several, both arohaio of Eastern Hindustan has been the same. These and more advanced, alphabets existed in the third century references to the art of writing may be taken as B. C., that an archaic alphabet was chosen for the perdating from about 400 B. C. The oldest words petuation of Asöka's Edicts, and that the clerks mixed the used for writing all mean originally to cut,' such
forms. And in support of this view I would adduce the as chhind; or 'to scratch, such as likh; the
Jaina tradition, socording to which many alphabets were
used about 300 B. C. But, even if we leave aside all scrutcher,' løkhaks ; 'scratching,' or 'scratcbes,'
conjectural explanations of the facts, it remains undeni. Lekha ; and the indelible,' akkhara. On the other able that the writing of the Edicts is in a state of transi. hand, lipi which we first meet in Panini (cir. 350 tion, and this alone is suficient to warrant the mortion B.O.) means literally, 'smearing,' and points to that their alphabet certainly had a long history. the use of ink.
Taking now the question of coins into conSpace does not allow me to do more than sideration, the very ancient inscribed coins, allude to the interesting digression of Dr. Bühler found in North-Western India, leave no doubt that in the various Indian alphabets. -The Brahma since the beginning of the historical period, the and the Kharoshthi ('Ass's Lipe,' mentioned by Brahmi Lipi has been the paramount Indian the Chinese under a similar name), the sixty-four Alphabot, and that the Kharoshthi is a later alphabets mentioned in the Lalita-vistara, and Alphabet, of Aramaio stock, which held always the eighteen of the Jaina Agamas.
a secondary place only in a very confined terri. As in the indigenous schools of the present tory. In connexion with this point Dr. Bübler day, the Brahma Alphabet bad, according to the
draws attention to the lately discovered Siddapur oldest authorities, only ten vowels, ri, 16, li, and
Edicts, written in Brahma characters, in which If not existing. At the present day m, and h
the scribe has added at the end his qualification are added, and each is combined in our schools lipikaréna 'the scribe,' in Kharðsh thi characters. with each consonant, forming the so-called bdrd- Dr. Bühler says 'this looks like a joke or a boast, kharf, or sets of twelve, the book in twelve sec- as it Paja, proud of his accomplishments, had tions' which Hiuen Tsiang describes as taught to been anxious to make it apparent that he knew Indian children in the seventh century A. D. Ag! more than the ordinary characters. And as he was regards the omission of rip, y, and 74, an in the royal service, it is not unlikely that he important piece of evidence is found at Bodh Gayi, may have acquired a knowledge of the Kharðshthi where a series of mason's marks gives the alphabet
during a stay in a northern office. during a stay in a no
It is strange as far as ta, but omitting these vowels. This how exactly history repeats itself in India. At proves that separate signs for these vowels did the present day, a Kayasth in Bihar, who writes a not exist in 300 B. C., for, while omitting them,
document in the Kaithi character in a Government the alphabet contained the vowels ai and ar, the
office, makes it a point of honour to subscribe his visarga ah, and the guttural na, which were not own name, as writer, in the Persian character, the required for the vernacular Prakrit of the time. - Kaithf being the direct descendant of the Brahma and the use of which shewed that the alphabet. Alphabet, and the Persian well corresponding to then current, was adapted to the expression of the Semitic Kharoshshi. Sanskrit.
Having thus cleared the way by his historical Dr. Bühler next considers the oldest form of inquiry, Dr. Bübler sets himself to discuss the Brahmi Lipi, and argues that the very consider problem of the origin of the Brahma Alphabet.
[Market girls were thus taught in Upper Burma up to the last generation, say, 39 years ago.
ED.]
