[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c1 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c1: Front matter Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c1 - **Language:** English ### Front matter ### [c1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.1) HARVARD ORIENTAL SERIES ### [c1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.2) Edited by MICHAEL WITZEL ### [c1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.3) VOLUME SIXTY-TWO ### [c1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.4) THE BOOK ### [c1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.5) EARLY TAMIL EPIGRAPHY is the first definitive edition of the earliest Tamil inscriptions in the Tamil-Brahmi and Early Vatteluttu scripts dating from ca. second century B.C. to sixth century A.D. It is based on the author's extensive fieldwork carried out in two spells between 1962-66 and 1991-1996. ### [c1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.6) The study deals comprehensively with the epigraphy, language and contents of the inscriptions. The texts are given in transliteration with translation and extensive word by word commentary. The inscriptions are illustrated with tracings made directly from the stone, estampages and direct photographs. Palaeography of Tamil-Brahmi and Early Vatteluttu scripts is described in detail with the help of letter charts. The special orthographic and grammatical features of the earliest Tamil inscriptions are described in this work for the first time. A glossary of inscriptional words and several classified word lists have been added to aid further research. ### [c1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.7) The work provides a detailed account of the discovery and decipherment of the inscriptions and relates their language and contents to early Tamil literature and society. The recently discovered Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions on pottery and objects like coins, seals, rings, etc., have also been utilised to present a more complete picture of early Tamil epigraphy. ### [c1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.8) THE AUTHOR ### [c1.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.9) IRAVATHAM MAHADEVAN (b. 1930) is a specialist in Indian epigraphy, especially in the fields of Indus and Brahmi scripts. He was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1970 for his research on the Indus script and the National Fellowship of the Indian Council of Historical Research in 1992 for his work on the Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions. ### [c1.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.10) His book, \*The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables\* (1977) is recognised internationally as a major source book for research in the Indus script. He has also published \*Corpus of the Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions 1966\* (1968) besides numerous papers on several aspects of the Indus and Tamil-Brahmi scripts. ### [c1.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1.11) He has served as the Co-ordinator, International Association of Tamil Research, for ten years (1980-90). He was elected the President of the Annual Congress of the Epigraphical Society of India in 1998 and the General President of the Indian History Congress for its session in 2001. He served the Indian Administrative Service and retired voluntarily to devote himself to full-time academic pursuits. He lives in Chennai. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c1) · Pramāṇa