Book Details

• Publisher: Resurrect Books

• Author: Ankita Roy & Malay Mandal

• Language: English

• Edition: 2016

• ISBN: 9788193208519

• Pages: 140

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 20.32 x 2.54 x 25.4 cm

• Weight: 900 g

About the Book

Brahmi : Rediscovering the Lost Script is a comprehensive and scholarly exploration of one of India’s most ancient and influential writing systems. The Brahmi script, prominently visible during the 4th–3rd century BCE under the reign of Emperor Asoka, is widely regarded as the mother of almost all Indic scripts and has significantly influenced writing systems across Eastern Asia, including regions such as Sumatra, Java, Bali, China, and Malaysia.

While the Indus Valley hieroglyphs remain the earliest known pictorial writing system in the Indian subcontinent, they are not considered a fully developed script. In contrast, Brahmi represents a structured and evolving writing system that shaped the cultural, intellectual, and administrative foundations of ancient India. Recent archaeological discoveries in Tamil Nadu further suggest that Brahmi may have existed even before the reign of Devanampiyadasi Asoka, expanding its historical depth and significance.

This book offers an in-depth analysis of Brahmi as a script, covering major inscriptions discovered across India and tracing the evolution of ancient writing styles into their various descendant scripts. The authors skillfully weave together historical insights from archaeology, epigraphy, and cultural studies to maintain continuity and reader engagement. A remarkable feature of the volume is its ability to translate complex textual history into accessible visual data through abundant photographs, illustrations, and chronological timelines.

Meticulously researched and richly illustrated, this hardcover edition is an essential reference for historians, scholars of epigraphy, students of ancient Indian history, and anyone interested in the evolution of writing systems and India’s intellectual heritage.