Indian Palaeography

The study of Indian palaeography grew out of the necessity for deciphering the large number of inscriptions found in the sub-continent. A further development came through the need to use the changing forms of letters as an aid to determining the dates of some inscriptions. For this latter purpose we now have a large number of charts at our disposal. Yet an absolute chronology has not been possible. The present work is intended to explain the difficulty, to redefine palaeography in the context of our technological advances and to seek, through its study, a better understanding of the civilization of South Asia. The book covers a wide field and deals with written materials from the earliest period to the eighth century AD found all over this far-flung area, and it explains, with the help of figures and charts, the interrelation of the cultures to the various zones.