History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c7.s7.26

v1.c7.s7.26

3. Burnell³ pointed out the general agreement of the principles of the Indian system with those of the Demotic notation of the Egyptians. He asserted a resemblance between the Demotic signs for 1 to 9 and the corresponding Indian symbols, and put forward the theory that the Hindus borrowed these signs and later on modified them and converted them into *akṣaras* (letter forms).