Early South Indian Palaeography c11.76

c11.76

Certain other foreign sources also indicate the tradition that the art of writing was indigenous to the country. The *Fa-Wan-Shu-Lin*, a Chinese encyclopaedia says that the Brāhmī script, written from left to right, was invented by *Fan* (Brahmā).⁵⁴ The celebrated Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang also refers to the very early invention of writing in India.⁵⁵ Alberuni, the Arab scholar, records a slightly different story. He says that the Hindus had once forgotten the art of writing and that through a divine inspiration it was rediscovered by Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara.⁵⁶ According to him the history of the Indian alphabets would begin with the commencement of the *Kaliyuga* in 3101 B. C. This tradition got currency evidently due to the fact that Vyāsa is believed to have collected the Vedas and classified them into four and composed the eighteen Purāṇas and the *Mahābhārata*.