Consider the following statements about Brahmi script.1. Brahmi is the...
Correct answer: Option A - 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
The Brahmi script is one of the oldest writing systems used in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Let us examine each statement to determine which ones are correct:
1. Brahmi is the oldest writing system used in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia:
This statement is correct. The Brahmi script is considered one of the oldest writing systems in the world. It was used in ancient India, particularly during the Maurya Empire around the 3rd century BCE. It spread to other parts of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia, influencing the development of various scripts and alphabets.
2. It is usually written from left to right:
This statement is correct. The Brahmi script is typically written from left to right, similar to most modern scripts. However, there have been instances of Brahmi inscriptions found where the writing direction is right to left or even boustrophedon (alternating directions).
3. It was deciphered in 1937 by James Prinsep:
This statement is incorrect. The decipherment of the Brahmi script is attributed to several scholars, but James Prinsep is not one of them. The decipherment of Brahmi was a gradual process that involved the combined efforts of several scholars over many years. The first significant breakthrough in deciphering Brahmi was made by James Princep's contemporary, Christian Lassen, in the early 19th century. However, it was mainly due to the work of James Princep, Alexander Cunningham, and others that Brahmi inscriptions were systematically studied and deciphered.
Therefore, the correct statements are 1 and 2 only.
Consider the following statements about Brahmi script.1. Brahmi is the...
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Brahmi is the oldest writing system used in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia during the final centuries BCE and the early centuries CE.
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Some believe that Brahmi was derived from a contemporary Semitic script or maybe Indus script. All surviving Indic scripts in SouthEast Asia are descendants of the Brahmi.
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The best-known Brahmi inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka in north-central India, dated to 250-232 BCE. The script was deciphered in 1837 by James Prinsep. Brahmi is usually written from left to right.
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Brahmi is an abugida, meaning that each letter represents a consonant, while vowels are written with obligatory diacritics called mātrās in Sanskrit, except when the vowels commence a word.
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