History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c36.s2.18

v1.c36.s2.18

Ink: The Sanskrit equivalents for the word ‘ink’ are *maṣi* (*maṣi*, *masī* or *maṣī*) and *melā*. The former is derived from the Sanskrit root *mas* (himsavam), which etymologically means “crushing or pounding,” whereas the latter from *mel*, i.e. to mix (Bothlingk and Roth). It is therefore to be noted that the two words indicate the very techniques for the preparation of ink, i.e. by pounding and mixing the ingredients properly. That the ink was used for the purpose of writing is attested by accounts left by the Greek writers like Nearchos and Curtius (4th century B.C.), where it is stated that Indians wrote on paper and cotton cloth with ink (Pandey, p. 83). It is evident that for writing upon softer material like birch-bark, palm-leaves, cotton-cloth, paper, etc., stilus with ink was employed.