Paleography Studies

Palaeography is the study of ancient writing styles, whether in handwritten form or carvings. It examines the materials used by our ancestors to record information, such as palm leaves (Tālāpatra), birch bark (Bhurjapatra), Agaru tree (Sāñcīpāt), paper (Kargajam), and inscriptions (Śilālekha).

This field sheds light on the various scripts and writing systems that existed in India, preserved in scriptures and inscriptions. Unfortunately, there are only a few books dedicated to this subject.

India has had numerous ancient scripts and languages. Some of the prominent scripts include Brāhmī, Gupta, Kuṭila, Nāgarī, Śārada, Bengali, Western Indian scripts, Central Indian scripts, Kharoṣṭhī, as well as South Indian scripts such as Grantha, Tamil, Vaṭṭezhuthu, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

The study of these scripts, their evolution, and the sources they are derived from are key aspects of this field. Additionally, palaeography also involves the dating of manuscripts and inscriptions from ancient, medieval, and modern periods.