The Brahmi script: Deciphering ancient Indian history | James Prinsep

A 2000-year-old Indian script was decoded and a fascinating new chapter was added to Indian history. India learnt about Emperor Ashoka, one of the greatest kings to have ever ruled over the subcontinent. This is the story of an ancient king who carved his edicts on rock faces and stone pillars across India. It is the story of an Englishman named James Prinsep, who was determined to read what these ancient inscriptions said. And this is the story of the decoding of Brahmi - the oldest readable Indian script and the mother script of most modern Indian scripts.
You can read more about James Prinsep in this short article.
storytrails.in/people/the-unf...
Become a Storytrails member and get access to a host of benefits: www.youtube.com/@storytrailsc...
Support us on Patreon: / storytrails_india
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel, and leave your comments below.
#Storytrails #ThreeMinuteStorytrails #FiveMinuteStorytrails #Ashoka #Edicts #Brahmi #Prinsep #IndianScripts #History #India #IncredibleIndia #FerozShahTughlaq #FerozShahKotla #Devanampiya
To experience more such stories of India, visit www.storytrails.in
Or visit www.storytrails.app to download the stories to your mobile phone.
Storytrails is an award-winning organisation that designs story-based walking tours, audio tours, local experiences and online learning programmes showcasing stories of India.
Follow our work on
/ storytrails
/ storytrails
/ storytrails
/ www-storytrails-in
If you liked our video, you will love our book, The Temple of Treasures and Other Incredible Tales of Indian Monuments. Find out more here: storytrails.in/books
Do write in to us with your feedback and suggestions: [e-mail]
Image and Photo Credits:
Ashokan Pillar at Feroze Shah Kotla, Delhi, Photo by Dhamijalok, CC by SA 2.0.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Allahabad_Kausambi_Edict Photo sourced from Eugen …9 March 1857 - 16 January 1927), Public Domain.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Soghaura copper plate Brahmi inscription 3rd century BCE.jpg
Topra kalan.jfif en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sohgaur...
Ferozabad_Panorama Photo by Rangan Datta Wiki CC by SA 4.0.jpg en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:...
Ashoka Pillar at Feroze Shah Kotla, Delhi, 1861. Photo by Samuel Bourne Public Domain.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Ashokan_Pillar_at_Feroz_Shah_Kotla,_New_Delhi Photo by Vu2sga CC by SA 3.0.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Menander_Alexandria-Kapisa.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Flying_griffin_Sanchi_Stupa_ public domain by its author, ArnoldBetten.jpg en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fl...
Brahmi_script_on_Ashoka_Pillar,_Sarnath Photo by ampersandyslexia CC by SA 2.0.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Close up Delhi pillar Photo Abhatnagar2 CC by SA 3.0.jpg
Firoz Shah Tughlak PD British Library.jpg commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Ashoka's visit to the Ramagrama stupa Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern gateway en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:As... Public domain
Lion_Capital_of_Ashoka en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Ca...
Ashoka_Lauriya_Areraj_inscription By Sachin kumar tiwary (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edicts_...) - This file has been extracted from another file: ARERAJ INSCRIPTIONS.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Delhi-Topra_pillar_edicts (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edicts_...) By Wikimapia Paul65 - This file has been extracted from another file: Delhi-Topra pillar of Ashoka.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Topra Kalan (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topra_K...) By Abhatnagar2 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Music Credits:
bensound-sunny music by www.bensound.com
bensound-ukulele music by www.bensound.com
The Pumpkin Head by Frank Schröter
Link: filmmusic.io/song/6663-the-pu...
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Lurking Sloth by Alexander Nakarada
Link: filmmusic.io/song/4785-lurkin...
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Editing: Anand Gautam

[@narvind0110]

Extremely well narrated.

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you :)

[@mscreationworks5787]

@@StorytrailsChannel Adichanallur and keezhadi excavation site brahmi script proven older than Ashoka Inspirations founded in North India

[@mars-cs4uk]

you mean the lie narrated well? You just gave your name to Bharami and just keep talking about lie over and over again will not be true.

[@Agnostic7773]

​​@@mscreationworks5787ifit oldest ashoka could have used it.. So dont cry tamil got this script from north but evidence of tamil brahmi is oldest. But, doesn't mean tamil brahmi evolved as north brahmi

[@mscreationworks5787]

@@Agnostic7773 A report from Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory, in Florida , United States , on the carbon dating from the Alagankulam excavation site . The carbon Dating found it to be from 345 BC. "Since many potteries found at the site have Tamil inscriptions, It proven that the age of Tamil Brahmi script is more than 345 BC and much older than Dhamma Lipi ( Prakrit in the Brahmi Script ) of Ashoka Edicts

[@Vicky-fl7pv]

*Fun fact : there is no proof that this script was called brahmi but in those very inscriptions, it is written "iyang dhammalipi" which means this is dhammalipi or dhamma script. Why was there a need to coin a new term when there already existed one ?*

[@adhavaramchettiar]

Exactly. Also, there are Brahmi script which even predated Ashoka's time by 300 years.. But these people still saying old facts.. they have to grow up. This script is not at all created by Ashoka.

[@raj-khotmarathawarriorclan]

Exactly

[@bijoydasudiya]

@@adhavaramchettiar Do you mean the Dakshin or Tamizh Brahm

[@adhavaramchettiar]

@@bijoydasudiya what do u mean? I’m talking about Brahmi script. It has nothing to do with Brahmins expect the fact that the spelling looks similar.

[@infinite5795]

@@adhavaramchettiar no, he is actually referring to Tamil Brahmi.

[@shanu7uday]

श्रीमान James Princep ❗️ आपके अथक प्रयासों के पिए अभिनंदन 🙏🏽

[@knotty239]

Sri Lankan buddhist monks maintaned several historic chronicles. They record that Ashoka the great sent buddism to Sri Lanka through his son Arahat Mahendra and also gave the title "devanampriya/beloved of gods" to Sri Lankan king Tissa. While in subsequent centuries this history was forgotten in India, we Sri Lankans wrote it down and remembered it. Sri Lankans are eternally grateful to Ashoka the Great.

[@Albetroz1415]

Can you please use that gratefullness & persuade your government to not lease land in Lanka to China so that they don't build military bases targeted towards India 🙏

[@knotty239]

@@Albetroz1415 Rajapaksas are deeply corrupt. But they wouldnt have fallen in to the lap of the Chinese had the Indian governments (mainly congress) treated us fairly. If indira and rajiv didnt train and fund terrorrism in Sri Lanka to destabilize us, Sri Lanka would have been Indias best friend. India created terrorism, China helped to end it. Rajiv paid with his life. China is in Sri Lanka because of bad Indian policy, not because we like china.

[@AllhaSuarwala]

Ashok the Cruel

[@Heretic-007]

It seems you have never read those records. They expose Ashoka the Cruel

[@knotty239]

@@Heretic-007 I have read the records. You have read propaganda.

[@premnarayan423]

There are few Englishmen who dug out the traces of Ancient Indian History and restored the glory of languages and culture. Like James Princep, CP Brown, Colon Mackenzie.

[@simplensample2724]

yes.. even for that we need foreigners ..unfortunately..

[@2sridhark]

Really? Like who?

[@deepakanjna2722]

I am spellbound. What a fascinating, accessible way to convey something this complex. Thanks a lot!

[@indiaexplorers]

Rather than blanket shunning of colonial times, india must acknowledge and give a position of respect to those colonial people, who contributed to india its identity. Like James Princep, Alexander Cunningham, John Marshall, Edwin Lutyens, Steven Frederick Williams, Max Mueller etc

[@sowmitriswamy6718]

Also Fr. Kittel who wrote the best Kannada to English dictionary with 70000 words and wrote 500 poems in Kannada.

[@elavarasand9660]

Important fact in deciphering Ashok's script is missing. That English officer first decoded some letters from a bilingual coin. That coin was issued by satakarni kings

[@uccaisiravas]

That is not true! Princep's break through came from the repeated use of the word "dhanam"!

[@alani3992]

@@uccaisiravas Yes but how did he know it was 'dhanam' The vid has not explained that he used a bilingual inscription.

[@uccaisiravas]

@@alani3992 He saw this three letter word, appearing many times and guessed it must the dhanam (gift). Many inscriptions recorded the gift of various people. Using this assumption, he was able to determine the other letters. Princep, like many westerners had a great training in multiple classical languages such as Greek and Latin. He had learned Sanskrit and several languages as well. Hence, he as able to make fast progress. BTW, there are a couple of books detailing how Princep achieved this task. The book "British Discovery of Buddhism" is a good start.

[@jarjarbinks3193]

​@@uccaisiravas How did Prinsep make that jump to associate that 3 letter word to "dhanam"? There should have been some bilingual source that gave him some clues, right? Kind of how Egyptian hieroglyphs were first decoded using the Rosetta stone.

[@uccaisiravas]

@@jarjarbinks3193 No there were no Rosetta stone! Prinsep was an exceptionally good linguist and had studied many languages including Sanskrit. He had gathered a large collection of Ashokan and other brahmin inscriptions. Using the word dhanam, he expanded the list of letters and eventually deciphered the brahmi inscriptions. BTW, the book "Buddha and the Sahibs" by Charles Allen describes the events well.

[@madhusudankannan4700]

Cholas of Thanjavur before Ashoka had also sculpted writings on a lot of temples they built. Some early Tamil brahmi script too is there. Late Airavata Mahadevan actually deciphered Indus script.

[@ghaah]

Stop telling bs

[@dayasubramaniam2929]

Bullshit again. Ashoka was much earlier than cholas.

[@karthikeyansrinivasan52]

@@ghaah its not BS if you know the facts

[@sathyajithravindran798]

I am learning that recent excavation at Kezhadi seems to be showing that early tamil script inscribed in temples in tamil nadu match exactly with Bhrami script and also writings discovered in excavations from Indus valley. this is also documented by the india archeology department. makes me wonder if the whole of the subcontinent spoke one language that took many names and morphed into many languages (of course borrowing words from Sanskrit).

[@ghaah]

@sathyajith ravindran according to sangam literature tamil spoke only upto the hills of andhra. tamil is reltively a new language comparing to the scrpts found in kezhadi

[@vedicastrologer-ai]

I'm curious about how to create those animated videos that display Indian maps. Can you please share which software or website is used to make them?

[@akshayraam6983]

a well analytical way of explaining. You people deserve more......

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you :)

[@satheeshbabu7724]

In 2019, excavations at the Keezhadi site near present-day Madurai unearthed potsherds with graffiti.[59] In a report, the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department (TNAD) dated the potsherds to 580 BCE and said the graffiti bore numerous similarities to known Harappan symbols, so it could be a transitional script between Indus Valley script and the Tamil Brahmi script used during the Sangam Period.

[@satheeshbabu7724]

@Time Machine You cannot write anything with sanskritam dialect. A recent publication has provided crucial evidence that Ancestral Dravidian languages were possibly spoken by a significant population in the Indus Valley civilisation. The paper titled “Ancestral Dravidian Languages in Indus Civilization: Ultraconserved Dravidian Tooth-word Reveals Deep Linguistic Ancestry and Supports Genetics”, by Bahata Ansumali Mukhopadhyay was published earlier this month in a Nature Group of journal - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume 8, Article number: 193 (2021).

[@mscreationworks5787]

@Time Machine South Indian Adichanallur and keezhadi excavation site Brahmi script were carbon - dated and proven older than Ashoka Inspirations founded in North India

[@infinite5795]

@@satheeshbabu7724 yes Tamil is older, but Sanskrit is also older if you consider the mitanni writings in Iran, which predate Tamil inscriptions or are of the same age.

[@Heretic-007]

​@@satheeshbabu7724 Your Alt-Nazi Pseudohistory is just that

[@SanthoshKumar-so8tq]

that was modern IVC scripts.. before sangam era.. tamil took modern shape after that

[@sriramr2437]

Wow! Another interesting piece from India's history 😃. The narration is very lucid. It's tough to misunderstand or misinterpret any words. Though the name of Emperor Ashoka was not a suspense, the Sri Lankan connection that lead to the name being deciphered was very interesting 🙂. The music in the background can be better.

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you :) Appreciate the feedback. Please keep it coming.

[@ABhattacharya]

Yes the music is juvenile

[@anandpalchoudary1964]

Let's listen to different opinions . There's no harm . We were just sitting on it all these days . Some one came forward . Let's listen . Why did you keep quite all these days when you this . If you have a proof what they say is not correct then you come out with with facts .Don't search for a black cat in a dark room . 😊

[@2sridhark]

HG Wells, the British author, a contemporary of Bernard Shaw and GK Chesterton, wrote in his, Outline of History: “Amid tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history - their majesties, and graciousness, and serenities and royal highnesses and the like - the name of Ashoka shines and shines almost alone, a star…” Ashoka was the greatest of monarchs simply because he renounced war as a state policy and opted for peace. He truly was a "Devanam priya"- beloved of the gods.

[@trsharma4266]

I have something written in Brahmi Lipi. Can you decipher it please. How to send it to you.

[@Re-vt6rq]

Good! The link between Pali and Tamil need to be researched. In Sanskrit dhana, dhaana means riches and donation respectively. In Tamil Dhanam, and Dhaanam means same. There are great links between Pali, Sanskrit and Tamil. ( Is Pali one form of Tamil or Sanskrit?) How accurate is James Prinnsep decoding? Need review on the decoding itself with today's available materials. Anyway this clip is a wonderful production. Brahmi fit to be ancient official script of INDIA.

[@ashkabrawn]

Good critical thinking.

[@LOL-cv9it]

Dhanam is a loan word in Tamil,The original word is ‘Koṭai’/‘கொடை’.

[@mscreationworks5787]

South Indian Adichanallur and keezhadi excavation site Brahmi script were carbon - dated and proven older than Ashoka Inspirations founded in North India

[@anandpalchoudary1964]

It's there in every field 🙏

[@aditichavan3427]

Another Great Video By Story Trails !! 🔥🔥

[@user-gk6qz2cm8f]

BTW this oldest script named as Dhamma Script by Great Ashoka in one of his edicts. It's renamed as Brahmi in 19th century after deciphering by James Precep . The script was used as liturgical script for Buddhism.

[@user-lw3lp1yw1z]

𑀆𑀧𑀦𑁂 𑀲𑀳𑀻 𑀓𑀳𑀸

[@B-Raja]

No, James Princep didn't name this script as Brahmi, though he was asked to name it like this, but being a true historian, he refused to give this name to this script. The name Brahmi to this script was given by Brahmnical minded historians of india. 'This is Dhamma Lipi' is found written in various edicts fo Asoka, and nowhere the word Brahmi Lipi is found written on edicts, but still the Brahmnical historians of India are reluctant to call this script as Dhamma script. The word Bambhi script is found in one of the Buddhist book titled "LalitVistar" and there are names of 64 scripts. One such name of the script is written as Bambhi, and our historians have corrupted this word as Brahmi, and have given this name to the Dhamma Script.

[@B-Raja]

@Time Machine No Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata trace has been found written in Brahmi script, kindly check your facts.

[@user-gk6qz2cm8f]

@ferzy09 The oldest manuscript of Veda with UNSCO is of 1464 AD.

[@shahidachoudhury6925]

@@user-gk6qz2cm8f Funny they continually saying that Veda is thousands of years old like 5000 years old, but they don’t even know what parts or which ones get changed by the writers. Maximum shutting with same claim .

[@valiyapurakkalNarayanankutty]

I first saw this script in a book on history of buddhism in india which my dad got for my sister for some history project for her Xth standard. I was quite intrigued and I got hold of a lot of books on indian history to get more of this. Used to be able to read it off the bat ( mind you I could read the alphabet not understand the language, it's like someone who knows only english trying to read Latin) but it's been years and was like a passing fad.

[@shaankulkarni3050]

Wonderfully narrated... thank u for the short informative video

[@annonymousguy2985]

Give them a Oscar for a beautiful narration.

[@sunilsatawlekar3972]

Excellent and informative video! Sincere thanks to both of the anchors.

[@nrg1323]

Dozens of language scripts are descended from parental Brahmi script, they include not only all south asian but also all other south east asian countrie's language scripts. Kharosthi is the sister script system of Brahmi.

[@rajeshnaik2808]

Excellent information and great narration Thanks Great work 👍

[@naveensharma7478]

Thanks Mr James , you have given us another reason to fight .

[@childofgod4862]

And blame Britishers!

[@meghanapetla]

Very well explained❤

[@markaxworthy2508]

Clear, concise and informed. An excellent presentation. Thanks.

[@arunkumar-yt2nx]

Isn't tamil brahmi a.k.a tamili predates Ashokan brahmi. I read some articles on excavation in keeladi, kodumanal, manalur, adhichanallur which has tamili incriptions dated back to 6 century BC.

[@pradeep8749]

tamil brahmi is different from ashoka brahmi. watch hiphop tamizha thamizhi series.

[@arunkumar-yt2nx]

@@pradeep8749 That is what I meant. And I watched the whole series.

[@pradeep8749]

@@arunkumar-yt2nx ok .. I misunderstood

[@ashkabrawn]

This video has outdated info..agreed

[@KarthikSoun]

@@arunkumar-yt2nx Oldest written script in Indus Valley(3600BC) is much older than any script and its "NOT" in tamil nadu. If you read about Proto-Sinaitic script looks very similar to Brahmi and Tamil brahmi, so it may not even be from India. Traders could have learnt it and brought back from there. People are trying to avoid that debate because not only Tamils will lose face but all of India will lose face.

[@krishna201107]

Great Narration. Thanks so much.

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you :)

[@sg04f]

Thanks a lot, but how did James Princep figure out that the oft repeated word was daanam, what was the rosetta stone, can you provide some reference where the details are explained please?

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Great question. Epigraphists love bilingual inscriptions. A bilingual inscription has the same message written in two different scripts. That gives the epigraphist an opportunity to compare both and decipher the unknown script. Like the Rosetta Stone, as you rightly pointed out. Even before King Ashoka’s time, the Greeks had come to India. So, historians had discovered coins and stone inscriptions which conveyed the same message in Greek and an Indian language. Prinsep himself had deciphered an ancient Indian script called Kharosthi by studying bilingual coins which had Greek notations on one side and Kharosthi on the other side. Prinsep knew Greek, because in those days, students studied classical languages as part of their curriculum. When it came to deciphering the Ashokan Brahmi script, Prinsep had one more advantage. In 1836, a Norwegian epigraphist named Christian Lassen had deciphered many Brahmi alphabets by studying coins of 2nd century BCE which had Greek and Brahmi notations. Using this as a stepping stone, he studied many other inscriptions and arrived at an accurate solution.

[@sg04f]

@@StorytrailsChannel so cool! thanks! any books you could recommend for further reading? which has details which you wrote here.

[@sg04f]

@ferzy09 that's right, surprising but true.

[@uccaisiravas]

Excellent presentation!

[@DeeCeeD]

A fact correction; Brahmin had a parallel script for tamil found across madhurai and south belt .

[@DC-zi6se]

THE script of India and especially Indo-Aryan languages, It is systematically completely analogous and cognate to the other common contemporary scripts like Devanagari (script for Hindi, Marathi, Hindustani, Bhojpuri, Maithili etc.), Bengali, Gurmukhi (script for Punjabi), Gujarati, Sharada (script for Kashmiri), Khudabadi (script for Sindhi), Odia etc.

[@zafinhameed3979]

Tamil is oldest

[@RahulHaritOfficial]

Awesome explanation 👌👌❤️❤️ The truth !

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you so much Sir. Do check out our other videos kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGiWmp6Ml5eWarc

[@RahulHaritOfficial]

@@StorytrailsChannel will definitely do.

[@mushanashanu8637]

Great presentation especially who vonsider history as a boring subjects.... Thx a lot for this visual treat

[@SanjibDas-qm4eh]

Awesome work...thank you

[@ramamanohararaopadi8910]

Really a good contribution to one and all. 🙏👏🌹

[@anupnair7465]

Pls.come with many more stories

[@shamanthjilla]

Hopefully, we will decode the Indus script in our lifetime. If only we had our own Rosetta Stone and our own Jean-François Champollion

[@sg04f]

but do yo know what was the rosetta stone for brahmi?

[@ashker7194]

It is already decoded. It is not promoted among the masses like you, so you would keep believing existing stories.

[@ram-it.damn-it]

This was an interesting video!

[@NikhilKumar-hh5ws]

This channel deserves more subscribers. Keep it up.

[@ravindrawalawalkar9560]

Shri Arjun Balwant Walawalkar is credited to have deciphered the Brahmi Script in the second half of the 20th Century. His study led him to propound a Theory that the Script dates to an era much before King Ashok . Students and Researchers have for reference the Book, ' The Pre Ashokan Brahmi Script ' , authored by him . He died on 23 December 1970 . Arjun Balwant Walawalkar is also remembered as a proponent and pioneer of the Konkan Railway Project. He surveyed and designed the project later approved and executed by Railway Authorities .

[@chandranchandran9159]

and what was written on those pillars after all? is it available for reading? (like a book or some research paper or some translation etc)

[@su-mu]

There is more to the story this channel did not tell

[@SUNOMAJEDAARGAANE]

@@su-mu What is that?

[@alani3992]

Yes its all translated, because Ashoka wrote trilingual edicts in Brahmi, Aramaic & Greek. Thats how they decoded it.

[@chandranchandran9159]

@@alani3992 where is it availble for public reading like in any unversity/library/any other institution etc .......................

[@chandranchandran9159]

or in any website?........

[@guts1589]

what a fine explanation!

[@NIKITA-dm2kf]

Thank you for this great video.

[@sriharid9947]

Brahmi script was deciphered because there was an inscription in Afghanistan with Brahmi & Greek put up by a Greek ruler . Egypt hyroglifs were also deciphered in same way because of inscriptions in both Egyptian & Greek.

[@vasundharasherkar7862]

And that's how a foreigner decoded our own language and tought us😂

[@shahidachoudhury6925]

😅😅😅😅😅 claimed to be 5000 years old nationality.

[@GyanTvAmit]

@@shahidachoudhury6925 peoples Who knows real brahmi cript were killed by islamic invaders and they destroy nalanda university and other universities with wisdom

[@ravichandra_sagili]

Great narration

[@minna9386]

excellent narration

[@thunder_achiever]

Excellent video. Thank you

[@SoulGoblin_YT]

Good video but I don't know why people of india underestimate Ashoka🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 as just a great King. He was the greatest king of the world ever as told by holy Buddha🙏🙏🙏

[@FiguraMolenMedia]

How can we know phonetic of the language?

[@khangembamkumar7274]

Extremely efficient 🙏

[@abhiramsg7585]

👏👏it's a good work

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thanks :)

[@Daffodil956]

Awesome 👍🏼

[@lifentime1602]

Name that Princep script..his efforts hardwork should be remembered.

[@bharanivyaspatri2639]

Very well explained. Although it is unclear how the entire script was deciphered. It is impossible that one would’ve done it just with the help of the word “daanam”.

[@jattadeputt9880]

Thank you so much ❤️

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you :)

[@freespeech515]

Mandarin is old tamil. Tirunelveli tamil and mandarin has big connection.

[@contactgagan99]

Can you tell more about what was actually written on that piller?

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Ashoka mostly states what he has done for citizen's welfare and the propagation of Buddhist philosophy. He also states what he expects from his subordinates and subjects. Here’s an example of what he says he has done for citizens: 'King Devanampiya Piyadasi Spake as follows: Along the highways I have caused fig trees to be planted, that they may be shade for animals and men; I have (also) planted mango trees; and at every half-coss I have caused wells to be constructed and resting places for the night erected……’ This is an example of what he expects: ' Thus spake King Devanampiya Piyadasi:And whatsoever benevolent acts have been done by me, the same shall be prescribed as duties to the people who follow after me;and in this manner shall their influence and increase be manifest......' And finally, and example of what looks like a mandate to his PRO: 'So Sayeth Devanampiya: Let stone pillars be prepared and this edict of religion be engraven thereon, that it may endure unto remotest ages'

[@pramodteegulla917]

Awesome..

[@indusscriptandindianhistor605]

Nice presentation

[@basamnath2883]

Great videos

[@madhupalvv6616]

Great 😊

[@pm-ri2dq]

Nice knowledge

[@allahkakafirbanda1939]

Britishers took a lot of credit of the work done by indians. Example 'discovery' of khajuraho. I am pretty sure, some indian expert of languages must have helped them understanding the script and scriptures as well.

[@sowmitriswamy6718]

Show a specific example. Khajuraho was long abandoned and nobody in urban circles in India at that time even mentioned it or wrote about it. The local people of course knew but perhaps not about its history. Do not parrot what the RSS says. ("Theory of evolution" was known in ancient India"). Indian experts had no interest in long dead writing and the science of archeology was unknown. They did not even know about Ashoka.

[@allahkakafirbanda1939]

@@sowmitriswamy6718 So you agree local people did help them 'discovering' khajuraho

[@swamykatragadda8661]

from where firoze moved the pillar ?

[@muskangauri2122]

Thank you so much mam its too good

[@hirendrashriwas8021]

Mam it's awesome... Fascinating.... I am a student of Archeology. I want to learn brmhi inscription. Can I have the Alphabets of it pls help.

[@taidelek9994]

Excellent 😊

[@kavithat4094]

Madam. Please try to know TAMIZLI SCRIPTS (TAMIL SCRIPTS IN POTRY MORE then 50000 THOUSANDS MADAM)

[@assetcpropertymanagement2591]

Yes it almost can take to 6th century bce. Before Prakrit

[@nishantwaghmare3295]

Thank you 🙏

[@abhishekdhane9717]

Brahmi script ko maine sabse pehle Amish ji ki book "Sita: Warrior of Mithali" mein dekhi thi. I'm very interested now

[@Luvallo]

Salute James Princep

[@KSH132]

Let's revive Brahmi script

[@desiputtar89]

Nah! Devanagari script is much better.

[@warakhairul9035]

MashaAllah mam....what a beautiful analysis

[@sweetblueman]

Lovely British contribution to the country..

[@hariunni]

Excellent....but how did he decipher the ‘daanam’?

[@catharperfect7036]

So in 1836 a Norwegian scholar Christian Lassen used a bilingual Greek/Brahmi coin with knowledge of Pali (so working backwards) to decipher a few of the letters. James Prinsep then used this knowledge along with another bilingual coin to learn more letters. This is when he was able to correctly guess danam (with help of previous statistical work on the inscriptions he had done) allowing for translation. So it was a bit more complex. To this day no script has been deciphered without the aid of bilingualism; this is why the Indus Valley script remains a mystery and probably always will (unless.... computers?)

[@gauravdube8133]

I hope one day we will be able to decode the Indus-valley script

[@waltervetri2476]

Nothing surprises me of the motherland anymore ,from zero(literally )to heroes .Soon the world will be under India .vetri South 🙏🇿🇦🇿🇦🙏

[@m.goodengumman3941]

Wow 👍

[@priyaappu8738]

Something bit away from language ha ho going on here. Does anyone here know whether, in any of Indian literature the king Ashoka or Mayuran lineage has been refered to as they are using "Devanampiya piyadasini" as mentioned in these inscriptions ?

[@SMCGPRA]

The origin of Brahmi as well as khorosti or gandara script originated from Aramaic so can clarify what is the earliest writing in India

[@renoldrenold8083]

Very interesting, from Sri Lanka

[@lardyify]

So, what language is being rendered by this ancient script?

[@johnreese5230]

brahmi was deciphered from bi-lingual greek, brahmi inscriptions on the coinage of agathocles of bactria. he was a greek king who later worshipped hindu gods and ruled parts of afghanistan. christian lassen found his coins and matched greek alphabets with brahmi and this is how brahmi was deciphered

[@alwinpaulalias657]

Tomorrow I am having Brahmi examination and thank you so much for this video. Well explained!

[@nikhilreji4581]

Go and study sir...

[@alwinpaulalias657]

@@nikhilreji4581 yeah, get up.. we have to reach department before 9 AM 🤭

[@alwinpaulalias657]

Well, the exam was easier than expected

[@nikhilreji4581]

@alwin ohooo.... it was easy

[@kraut1982]

Can you please share some online resources to learn Bramhi script?

[@amithrb5693]

How is this channel not popular ????

[@StorytrailsChannel]

Thank you :) Very kind of you

[@anselmdanker9519]

Thank you for your well narrated explanation.

[@tushislionking]

Indian History was Great History in the World.

[@gratefulkm]

The moment someone says a European Aristocrat decoded a langauge And the Native people accept this interpretation My stomach turns

[@saurabhgupta6691]

greattttt

[@raju1950]

what about the script of vigai river basin...mohanjadaro harappa....are they not older than 3 BC..

[@KOLARGsMedia]

Finally I found a teacher....

[@vedapattimsivakumar210]

madam, Also please put a video on Tamil Brahmi (tamili) scripts which is much older than Ashokan Brahmi. Latest evidences were found last year at Tamilnadu. Artifacts were found last year in TN which belonged 600 BC. It is also said that the Ashokan Brahmi evolved from Tamil Brahmi. I.e Tamil Brahmi has less letters. Ashoka added some more letters and created Ashokan Brahmi. (Even today Tamil doesn't have Kha, Ga, Gha. It has only Ka. Ashoka added Kha,.Ga, Gha to this script) Kindly shed light on it and post another video.

[@ashker7194]

You are correct. That's how scripts evolve adding newer features when the language demands out of it. Unfortunately, Tamil Brahmi wont be getting its recognition because propagandist have an agenda to work on and they resist scientific methodology. Anything apart from the propaganda wont be addressed. Or anything that will shatter an existing belief.

[@05kalpana]

There will be no excavation, language decipher etc that doesn't suit the brahman purpose in free India. In case you realise who is actually free

[@mscreationworks5787]

@Time Machine South Indian Adichanallur and keezhadi excavation site Brahmi script were carbon - dated and proven older than Ashoka Inspirations founded in North India

[@dnareplication5593]

@Time Machine first u must have know the entire knowledge of thamizh grammar " tholkaapium" .u people are unfulfilled knowledge in thamizh not only Sanskrit also.

[@chandranchandran9159]

@Time Machine dear fake id, what is your state? and what language do you speak?

[@stayinawesum]

But how did this script came to being, was it invented or evolved from another script?

[@Mindfookfilms]

How the word was cracked as Danam?

[@ranjiniflr]

Check out Raja Raja Chozhan ... Chozhan empire .. history should be rewritten from South

[@dushyantshakya4080]

Wow

[@speedstar6140]

Wondering in which script Rigveda was written ?

[@sowmitriswamy6718]

Initially it was passed down orally, later written in Sanskrit.