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Indus Script: Features & Challenges in Deciphering

  • Context (IE): Tamil Nadu’s CM announced a $1 million prize for deciphering the Indus Valley script.

About Indus Script & Its Features

  • The Indus Valley Script is a writing style developed by the Indus Valley Civilization and it is the earliest form of writing known in the Indian subcontinent.
  • Boustrophedon method was adopted, i.e., written from right to left on one line and then from left to right in the next line.
  • Mainly pictographic, containing 250 to 400 pictographs in the form of a picture where each letter stands for some sound, idea, or object.
  • Boustrophedon method was adopted, i.e., written from right to left on one line and then from left to right in the next line.
  • Symbols: Found on seals and terracotta tablets; include human & animal motifs and unknown characters.
  • Inscription Length: Typically short, with an average of five characters, the longest has 26 characters.
  • Signs Count: Varied scholarly estimates – 62 (S.R. Rao), 425 (Asko Parpola), 676 (Bryan K Wells).
  • Writing System: Believed to be logosyllabic, where signs represented objects, words or homophones.

Indus Script

Major Theories on Language and Script

  • Dravidian Hypothesis: Suggests Dravidian roots based on the rebus principle (e.g., fish sign linked to “star” in Dravidian); Supported by Brahui language in Balochistan and Old Tamil connections.
  • Sanskrit Connection: Proposed link to Vedic Sanskrit rejected due to Aryan migration after 2000 BCE.
  • Nonlinguistic Symbols Theory: Suggests symbols were used for trade, taxation, or religious purposes rather than encoding language.

Indus Valley Script

Source: OneIndia

Challenges in Deciphering Indus Script

  • No Rosetta Stone: Lack of multilingual inscriptions makes comparisons difficult.
  • Short Texts: Inscription brevity hinders pattern recognition.
  • Disagreements: Divergent scholarly views on the nature and purpose of the script.

Potential Implications of Deciphering the Indus Script

  • Economic Reconstruction: Insights into Harappan trade systems and administrative functions.
  • Cultural Heritage: Connection to modern Dravidian and South Asian languages and traditions.
  • Academic Impact: Could bridge gaps in early South Asian history.
  • Historical Importance: Can redefine understanding of early Indian civilisation and its global interactions.

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