Indian Palaeography c18.s1: Nomenclature
Indian Palaeography c18.s1
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Nomenclature
c18.s1.1
OF all the scripts of ancient India one stands alone, by virtue of the direction of its writing, which is from right to left instead of from left to right. This script was first noticed on the coins of the Bactrian Greek rulers, and hence it was called the 'Bactrian' character.¹ But as the rulers themselves, because of their connexion with India, were sometimes referred to as 'Indo-Bactrian', the same term was also applied to the script. However, it was later ascertained that 'not a single example of this writing has yet been found to the north of the Hindukush. Its use was confined to Ariana on the west of the Indus, and to the Panjab on the east.'¹ Lassen therefore preferred to call it 'Kabulian', and Wilson 'Arianian'. On geographical grounds Cunningham objected to the use of the latter two terms, and he suggested the name 'Gandharian' alphabet, so as to embrace the regions east as well as west of the Indus, where this script was current. As the language used in these inscriptions is some form of Pali or Prakrit, the script also came to be known as 'Bactro-Pali' or 'Ariano-Pali'. The present name 'Kharoshṭhī' is due to Bühler, who found evidence for this name in the *Lalita-vistara* (composed about the third century a.d.) and in the Chinese encyclopaedia, *Fa-Wan-Shu-Lin*, compiled in a.d. 668. But the meaning of the term is by no means certain.
c18.s1.2
¹ Cunningham, *Coins of Ancient India*, London, 1891, p. 31.