On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet c9.2

c9.2

In my *Grundriss der Indischen Paläographie*, p. 77 f., I have briefly discussed the various theories regarding the origin of the ancient system of numeral notation found in the older inscriptions and MSS. which are written in Brāhma characters. And I have expressed the opinion that in spite of serious difficulties Dr. Burnell's suggestion have separate signs for 1—9, 10—90, 100 and 1000. In both the numerals 1—3 are expressed by strokes, either vertical or horizontal¹ or by combinations thereof and the symbols begin with 4. In both the signs for 200 and 300 consist of that for 100, united respectively with the signs for one and two.² The not very important differences are (1) that the Indians form 2000 and 3000 on the same principle as 200 and 300, while the Egyptians add in these cases the signs for two and three to the symbol for 1000; (2) that the Indians form 400—900 and 4000—9000 by the combinations of 100 with 4—9 and of 1000 with 4—9, while the Egyptians have at least for 400 the combination 100+3; (3) and that the Egyptians have a separate sign for 10,000 which is wanting in the Indian system. The first two discrepancies may possibly be due to the formalism of the Hindus, which may have induced them to reject the vacillation in the Egyptian system and to rigorously adhere to one and the same principle.