Sambodhi 2012 Vol 35

Author(s): J B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 81

Palaeography As Found In Budhism
And Its Antiouity
Dinanath Sharma
Indians are blamed of not having the sense of history and writing by western world. Indians are said to do their academic activities through oral recitation. Writing system came from abroad to India very late. Maxmuller says: “I can say with firm that there is no word in Panini's Astadhyayi to indicate the system of writing that existed before him. He assumes the age of Panini in 4th century B.C. Burnel opines that Indians learned writing from Phinitians not before 5th century B.C. Seria of North West Asia is called Phi2nitia by Greeks and Romans. People of this region taught scriptology to Europeans. A famous archeologist Buller admits the Brahmi script to have evolved from Semitic script which entered the sub continent in about 800 B.C. The languages like Arabic, Etheopic, Aramike, Seriak, Phinitian, Hibru etc. and their scripts have been developed by Semitic or Shem, the son of Nuha, who is well known in Bible.
As we know, in the climate like that in India, Bhojapatra, palmleaf or paper cannot survive for thousands of years. But the inscriptions on stones or metals can do so. King Ashoka of Maurya dynasty got many administrative regulations inscribed on pillars, rocks, caves etc. over his territory from Shahabajagadhi in north to Erragudi in south and from Giranara in west to Pataliputra in east. But before his age, there are found so many other inscriptions. 1. Erana Mudra Viruda- This is scattered and has been written from right
to left. This inscription provoked Buller to come to the conclusion that Brahmi script was written from both the sides. left to right and right
to left. Its age is definitely 400 B.C. 2. Remnants of Bhattiprolu Casket (a Dravidian Inscription)- d, gh and