Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c13.s1.t2.1

Language: English

c13.s1.t2.1

Brāhmī and Kharoṣṭrī are the two most important scripts mentioned in the Jain and Buddhist texts.¹⁵ The former was written from left to right and the latter from right to left. The Kharoṣṭrī alphabet was introduced overland into the extreme north west of India about 500 B.C. and was used locally in Gandhāra. Later on, gradually Kharoṣṭrī disappeared from India and was replaced by Brāhmī from which all other alphabets used in India have evolved. Buhler has adopted the designation Brāhmī for the characters in which the majority of the Asoka edicts are written. According to him, the Brāhmī alphabet has been formed by phonologist or grammarians for scientific use.¹⁶