2.7. Back to Basics How Are Inscriptions Deciphered?

So far, we have been studying excerpts from inscriptions amongst other things. But how do historians find out what is written on them?

Historians study inscriptions to understand historical texts. They decipher these inscriptions using various techniques. Modern Indian languages are descended from Brahmi, a script found in many ancient inscriptions. Scholars like James Prinsep played crucial roles in deciphering these scripts by comparing them with contemporary languages. The decipherment of Brahmi started in the late 18th century, leading to better understanding of historical languages and contexts.

Imagine finding a letter written in a language you don't understand. To read it, you would compare letters and symbols with languages you do know, much like how researchers use modern scripts to decode ancient ones.

Most scripts used to write modern Indian languages are derived from Brahmi, the script used in most Asokan inscriptions. From the late eighteenth century, European scholars aided by Indian pandits worked backwards from contemporary Bengali and Devanagari (the script used to write Hindi) manuscripts, comparing their letters with older specimens.

The Brahmi script is foundational to many modern scripts used in India. Researchers worked backward from modern scripts like Bengali and Devanagari to decipher Brahmi. This method involved comparing characters to deduce meanings and sounds, ultimately leading to the understanding of ancient Indian texts.

Consider solving a puzzle where you have pieces from a complete picture and other similar images. By looking at the shapes and colors, you can gradually figure out how the pieces fit together, just like researchers pieced together ancient scripts from more recent languages.

The story of the decipherment of Kharosthi, the script used in inscriptions in the northwest, is different. Here, finds of coins of Indo-Greek kings who ruled over the area (c. second-first centuries BCE) have facilitated matters.

Kharosthi script was identified through the coins of Indo-Greek kings, which contained inscriptions in both Greek and Kharosthi. Scholars compared symbols from both scripts to understand Kharosthi, thus unraveling more aspects of early Indian history.

It's like finding a map with locations in code. If you have a key in another familiar language, you can decode the map. Similarly, finding coins with familiar names helped decipher Kharosthi.

To find out how epigraphists and historians work, let us look at two Asokan inscriptions more closely. Note that the name of the ruler, Asoka, is not mentioned in the inscription (Source 10).

In some inscriptions, rulers used titles instead of their names. For example, Asoka is referred to as 'devanampiya' or 'beloved of the gods' in his inscriptions. This shows how titles were important in understanding the messages and intentions behind the inscriptions, as well as the identity of the rulers.

Imagine a celebrity who is well-known by a nickname rather than their full name. If you only see their nickname, it still gives you insight about them and their persona. Similarly, these titles inform us about Asoka's values and priorities.

When the king Devanampiya Piyadassi had been ruling for eight years, the (country of the) Kalingas (present-day coastal Orissa) was conquered by him.

This inscription reflects Asoka's complex feelings about warfare and conquest, illustrating the consequences and the human cost of conflicts. It indicates that, despite being a ruler who accomplished victories, he felt anguish over the suffering caused by his campaigns, which later influenced his embrace of Dhamma or moral governance.

Think about a leader who wins a battle but later regrets the lives lost. Such remorse can lead to significant changes in policies and practices to ensure peace, similar to how Asoka turned towards promoting Dhamma after reflecting on the consequences of war.

By now it is probably evident that there are limits to what epigraphy can reveal. Sometimes, there are technical limitations: letters are very faintly engraved, and thus reconstructions are uncertain.

While inscriptions are invaluable historical sources, they have limitations. Some inscriptions are difficult to decipher due to fading or damage, and not all aspects of life are recorded. Important daily practices may be overlooked, as inscriptions often focused on monumental events rather than the mundane experiences of ordinary people.

Imagine trying to understand a historical event from a few surviving old newspapers. The focus might only be on major happenings rather than everyday life, making it challenging to get the full picture of society at that time.

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