Palæography. The Indian Universities, too, included Palæography as an optional subject for the M A. degree, and the book was used by students going up for that examination. The demand was so great that the first edition was sold out in a few years, and copies were not available even when twenty times the original price was offered for them.
The book, therefore, appears to have supplied a widely-felt want, and I have, from time to time, received letters urging me to bring out a second edition of the book. In doing so, I have thoroughly revised and rewritten the whole of the subject matter.
Archæology has made great progress in India during the last 25 years, owing to the important research work of various scholars and to the impetus given to the study of the subject by the reorganisation of the Archæological Department by Lord Curzon. A mere reprint of the first edition would, therefore, have rendered the book very incomplete as a work of reference. I have, therefore, incorporated in it the results of recent researches on the subject. The present edition has, in consequence, increased to thrice the bulk of the original book.
The book naturally divides itself into two parts, the first Descriptive and the second Illustrative. The first part contains the following chapters :––
- I. The antiquity of the art of writing in Ancient India.
- II. The origin of the Brāhmi alphabet.
- III. The origin of the Kharoshthi alphabet.
- IV. The history of the decipherment of ancient characters.
- V. The Brāhmi script (Platcs 1–15).
- VI. The Gupta script (Plates 16–17).
- VII. The Kutila script (Plates 18–23).
- VIII. The Nāgari script (Plates 24–27).
- IX. The Śāradă script (Plates 28–31).
- X. The Bengāli script (Plates 32–35).
- XI. The Western script (Plates 36–40).
- XII. The script of the Central Provinces (Plates 41–42).
- XIII. The Telugu-Canarese script (Plates 43–51).
- XIV. The Grantha script (Plates 52–56).
- XV. The Kalinga script (Plates 57–59).
- XVI. The Tāmil script (Plates 60-62).
- XVII. The Vatteluttu script (Plates 63-64).
- XVIII. The Kharoshțhi script (Plates 65-70).
- XIX. Numerical symbols and figures of the Brāhmi and other scripts derived from it (Plates 71-76).
- XX. Numerical symbols of the Kharoshțhi script (Plate 76, last chart).
- XXI. The principal Indian scripts of the present day (Plates 77-81).
- XXII. Evolution of the principal Indian scripts of the present day (Plates 82-84).
- XXIII. Evolution of the present Nagari numerals (Plate 84, last chart).
- XXIV. Writing materials.
I have, where necessary, given the opinions of various writers and my reasons for agreeing with or dissenting from their views.
