History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c36.2

v1.c36.2

During the Vedic period in India, learning spread verbally through words from the teacher to the disciple. Possibly reading and writing were not known at that time. With the discovery of scripts, the method of writing the verbal transmission of thought was gradually replaced by written records. The available materials used for writing, found in India, are generally of two types - hard and soft. Stone, metals, shells and earthenwares are examples of the former. On these, writings were carried out by engraving, embossing, painting and scratching, as the case may be; while the more or less soft materials are represented by wooden board (*pāṭī*), dust (*dhūli*), birch-bark (*bhūrja-patra*), palm-leaves (*tāḍa-patra*), leather (*ajīna*), cotton cloth (*kārpāsīka paṭa*) and paper. Engraving and embossing were effected by sharp instruments, while reed, chalk, stilus with colour or ink were employed for softer materials.