Question

Identify the scripts which were deciphered by James Prinsep in 1830s?

• A. Pali and Greek
• B. Prakrit and Gurumukhi
• C. Brahmi and Kharosthi
• D. Roman and Sanskrit

Hint:

Do not confuse language with script:
Prakrit, Pali, and Sanskrit are languages.
Brahmi and Kharosthi are writing scripts. Prinsep deciphered the scripts used to write ancient Prakrit and Greek-influenced inscriptions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept:
Epigraphy, the study of inscriptions, witnessed a watershed moment in early nineteenth-century Indian historiography.
A major challenge facing colonial historians was deciphering the early scripts carved on pillars, rocks, and cave walls across the subcontinent.
James Prinsep, an officer in the mint of the English East India Company and founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, resolved this challenge.

Step 1: Historical Context of Prinsep's Breakthrough:
In 1837--1838, James Prinsep successfully deciphered the ancient scripts known as Brahmi and Kharosthi.
Brahmi was the primary script used in the vast majority of Ashokan edicts across central, eastern, and southern India, and serves as the ancestral script for most modern Indian scripts.
Kharosthi was an ancient script written from right to left, prevalent in the northwestern frontier (Gandhara region).
Prinsep deciphered Kharosthi by cross-referencing bilingual coins issued by Indo-Greek kings that featured royal names inscribed in both Greek and Kharosthi.

Step 2: Significance of the Decipherment:
The decipherment of Brahmi and Kharosthi unlocked early Indian epigraphy.
It allowed historians to directly read the imperial edicts of Emperor Ashoka, where he was referred to as Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) and Piyadassi (pleasant to behold).
This discovery shifted the reconstruction of early political history from relying on later Puranic legends to contemporary documentary records.
Final Answer:
James Prinsep deciphered the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts in the 1830s.