EPIGRAPHY.pptx

Epigraphy is very important part of Archaeology. it deals with deciphering of inscriptions.

1. EPIGRAPHY Challenges And Prospects By Lucky Sharma Assistant Professor IMS UNISON University Dehradun 248001 8340284861

2. Concept Of Epigraphy Epigraphy   is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as  writing; it is the science of identifying  graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the writing and the writers . Although several thousand inscriptions have been discovered, not all have been deciphered, published and translated. many more inscriptions must have existed, which have not survived the ravages of time. At present probably only a fraction of what was inscribed is available.

3. Fundamental issues with epigraphy. Letters Are Very Faintly Engraved, Impossible To Reconstruct. Words Damaged Or Letters Are Missing. Meaning Of Words May Be Specific To Particular Place Or Time. Routine Practices Are Very Less Engraved. farming, amusement etc. Development Of Scripts Are Debatable. Most Of The Articles Are Deliberate Work. Genealogical Section Quotes The Name With Bares Details. Different Dating Techniques And Eras Creates Ambiguity ( Large No. Of Inscriptions Are Undated).

4. Can only be approximately referred to a period not to a definite date. In Early Medieval Phase:- Term Gotra Used To Define Genealogy. ( Pallavas - Kanchi-bhardwaja ), Claims Descent From The Solar, Lunar , Yadav & Other such extinct clans. In Some Cases Fabricated Genealogy Can Be Easily Detected: For Example. Vajrahasta 3 rd (1038-70 A.D.) Of Ganga Dynasty Claims Descent Of Aitrey Gotra (Descent Of Sage Atri ),While his grand son Anantvarman Chodgangadeva Traces Origin To God Vishnu.

5. Prasasti Composers Are The Part Of Royal Court & Intentionally Or Unintentionally Exaggerated The Achievements Of Their Patron. Example: Mahakut Inscription Claims: Chalukya King Kirtivarman 1 st Subjugated, Vanga , Anga , Klinga , Vattura , Magadha, Madraka , Kerala, Ganga, Pandya, Dramila , Choliya , Aluka & Vaijyanti . It Seems Impossible Because His Son’s ( Pulkesin 2 nd ) Aihole Inscription Fails To Express The Concealed Territory And Limited Between Narmada And Cauvery. Khajuraho Inscription Of Chandella King Dhanga (950-1002a.D.) Also Claims Such Victory That Looks Superfluous. It Claims “ He Crushed The Rulers Of Kanchi , Andhra, Radha & Anga Captured The Queens And Put Them In Jail” Collision- Victory-queens-prison.

6. Unpalatable Facts Like Defeats or subjugation Were Often Completely Supressed, And At Times They Were Only Vaguely Described Deliberately In Ambiguous Language That Can Be Interpreted As Applicable Both To A Paramount Sovereign And To A Sub-ordinate Rulers. Early Mediaeval Period Has Morally Downfall Period, Indecisive Battle And Even Defeats Are Presented As Victory. e .g. Rana Kumbha Fought An Indecisive Battle Against Malwa sultan and Described As Victor At Commemoration Pillar Raised At Chittor . Rana uday singh of chittor claimed to overshadowed the akbar while in fact his capital was ceased.

7. Prasastis Often Claims Conventional Things and less historical facts . Devpala (9 th Cen. A.D.) Ruled Over Bengal & Bihar Claims Ruler Of The Entire Land Bounded By The Himalaya. Nagpur Prasasti , Of Lakshmanvarman ( Parmars ) Claims Control Upto River Oxus. ( Seems Motivated From Kalidasa’s Raghuvansham In Which Raghu Advanced Upto The Same River To Stop Chaos Created By Huns)

8. Mere Present From The Neighbour Kings Pompously Represented By The Court Poet As Tribute & Contact Of Any Kind As Sub-ordination. Often Illiterate Or Semi-literate Gold Smiths And Stone Cuters Were Entrusted For The Task That Led To The Numerous Errors and multiple interpretations. There Are Often Discrepancies In The Same Account Quoted In Different Records Of A Family. “ In War Every Commander Claims The Credit Of Victory, But None Admits The Blame For Defeat” ~Richard Solomon

9. I owe my thanks to - Dr. D.C. Sircar , Indian Epigraphy, University Of Calcutta, Published By Motilal Banarsidas , 1965. - Dr. Richard Solomon, Indian Epigraphy, Oxford University Press, 1998. Special Thanks To- Anjana Guleria (M.A. , M.Phil., SET) THANK YOU FOR LISTENING PATIENTLY .