A Comparative Study on the

Ashokan Brāhmī and the Gupta Brāhmī

Dr. Ranu Ghosh

Abstract
Brāhmī is considered to be the earliest known scripts of India. The script is available through
the inscriptions of Aśoka in 3rd cent. BC., in the form of rock and pillar inscriptions of the Mauryan
King Aśoka. Brāhmī is considered as the mother-script and fore-runner of all the scripts prevalent in
Indian History for a considerable period. Mauran Brāhmī script is called Ashokan Brāhmī and the
Kuṣāṇa, Gupta, Pallava etc. are the variations of this script. So they have many identical differences.
In the present paper I try to focus on Ashokan Brāhmī and the Gupta as per my view.
Keywords – Ashokan Brāhmī, Gupta Brāhmī
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INTRODUCTION - The Indian scripts, as developed fully by the Sanskrit

Grammarians, are not at present known from actual specimens of writing till a very
late period. This system, so far as it was needed by the popular language of the
inscriptions, found expression at the same time in two scripts, the Brāhmī and the
Kharoṣṭhī. These two scripts were used in the inscriptions at the time of Devānāṃpiya
Piyadasi King Aśoka, the Mouryan King, between 272C to 231 BC., ruling over
Jambudvīpa. Inscriptions at that time was called Dhamma lipi, libi or dipi, were written
in above mentioned two scripts. The kharoṣṭhī used in the Indus Valley zone and the
Brāhmī in the remaining part. The Brāhmī script of those inscriptions is called as
Ashokan Brāhmī. This script is considered as the mother-script and fore-runner of all
the scripts. It is included in the family of ‘Abugida’ writing system. It is a system of
diacritical marks to vowels with consonant symbols. Brāhmī is usually written from
left to right. This script was already divided into regional variants at the time of the
earliest surviving epigraphy around the 3rd century BC. Cursives of the Brāhmī script
began to diversify further from around the 5th century AD. and continued to give rise
to new scripts throughout the middle age. The main division in antiquity was
between northern and southern Brāhmī. In the northern group, the Gupta and the
Kuṣāṇa were very influential mainly Gupta; and in the southern group the Vatteluttu
and Kadamba or Pallava scripts throughout Southeast Asia. From this northern and
southern group of the Brāhmī almost all the scripts came from. Here a chart given
below, gives a picture or idea of the development of important Indian scripts out of
Brāhmī.
Ashokan Brāhmī (5th cent. BC)
North Indian Group (cent. AD) South Indian Group (cent. AD)
Gupta (3 ) Kuṣāṇa (3 )
rd rd
Grantha (3rd) Kadamba (3rd)
Siddhamātr̥kā (6th) Sāradā (8th) Vatteluttu (4th)
Nāgarī (8th) Tākrī Landā Mālayālām(13th) Old Kannaḍa (10th)
Nandināgarī (11th) Devanāgarī (13th) Tamil (8th)
Assamese (13th) Bengali (13th) Kannaḍa (14-15th) Telugu
Oriyā (14th) Gujarāti(15th) Kaithī (16th)
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Moḍī (12th/ 16th) Dogrī Gurumukhī (16th)
So, from this chart we come to know that almost all the scripts come from the
Ashokan Brāhmī. In this present assignment I try to prepare a note on a comparative
study on Ashokan Brāhmī and Gupta Brāhmī.
The decipherment of the Brāhmī script became the focus of European
scholarly attention in the early 19th century during East-India Company rule in India,
in particular in the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Park Street, Calcutta (now Kolkata). In
India, at that time the use of modern techniques to rediscover the past came into
practice. Among these was the decipherment of the Brāhmī script, largely by James
Prinsep. In 1837 when James Prinsep, a brilliant secretary of the Asiatic Society of
Bengal, building on earlier pools of epigraphic knowledge, very quickly uncovered
the key to the extinct Mauryan Brāhmī script. Prinsep unlocked Aśoka; his
deciphering of the script made it possible to read the inscriptions. His breakthroughs
built on the epigraphic work of Christian Lassen, Edwin Norris, H. H. Wilson and
Alexander Cunningham among others.1
The evolution of Brāhmī script, according to Dr. Dilip Rajgor, was in four
stages preceded by the Harappan script. Such as – i) Harappan script (2500-1700 BC)
ii) Proto-Brāhmī script (1700-600 BC) iii) Pre-Mauryan Brāhmī script (600-350 BC) iv)
Mauryan Brāhmī script (350-150 BC) and v) Post-Mauryan Brāhmī script (150 BC –
600 AD).2
Mauran Brāhmī script is called Ashokan Brāhmī and the Kuṣāṇa, Gupta, Pallava
etc. are included in the Post-Mauryan Brāhmī. According to Dr. Upinder Singh,
Brāhmī is generally classified in three main types, which represent three main
historical stages of its evolution over nearly a millennium. 3 The three Classifications
are – i) Early Brāhmī or Ashokan Brāhmī (3rd – 1st century BCE) ii) Middle Brāhmī or
Kuṣāṇa (1st – 3rd cent.) and iii) Late Brāhmī or Gupta-Pallava Brāhmī (4th – 6th cent.).
It is said that Ashokan Brāhmī is the mother script of all the script. As the
Gupta Brāhmī is one of the variations of the Ashokan Brāhmī script, so they have
many identical differences. Such as – i) time period ii) dynasty iii) language iv)
different name v) scripts with their numbers (e.g. vowels and consonants) and vi)
natures. We can prepare a chart to understand the comparison between them easily -
Scripts Ashokan Brāhmī Gupta Brāhmī
Time including in Early Brāhmī and Included in Late Brāhmī. It
Period was in use from the 3rd – 1st is early signed in 1st cent.
century BCE AD but developed in 4th
cent. AD
Dynasty The entire Indian Almost northern part of
subcontinent, except parts of the India, like – Kashmir,

1
Indian Epighaphy. D.C. Sircar. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, 1965. (p.- 11)
2
Palaeolinguistic Profile of Brahmi Script. Dilip Rajgor, Delhi. (pp.- 56-61)
3
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India : From the Stone Age to the 12the Century. Upinder Singh.
Pearson Education India, 2008. (p.- 43)

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Tamilnadu and Kerala, was Taxila, Gāndhāra, Vidiśā,
ruled from 268 BCE to 232 Mathurā, Ayodhyā,
BCE. The empire was Pāṭaliputra etc.
expanded from present-day
Bangladesh in the east to
Afghanistan in the west. The
capital of the empire was
Pāṭaliputra, at present Patna.
Tak a!ila (later Taxila) and
Ujjain were the provincial
capitals of the empire.
Language Sanskrit, Pāli, Prākr̥t, Tāmil, Sanskrit (literary and
Tokharian etc. academic), Prākr̥t
(vernacular)
Different Sometimes it is called Nail-headed Brāhmī (By
name Mauryan Brāhmī earlier Palaeographers it is
called ‘Wedge’)
Scripts (in Vowels 14 (a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, r̥, , e, ai, o, 11 (a, ā, i, ī, u, r̥, e, o, au, aṃ,
numbers) au, aṃ, aḥ) aḥ)
Conso 33 (ka to ha) 33 (ka to ha)
nants
Nature of Angularization and circled Angularization and curve
the scripts form of the letters are noticed form both are noticed.

The main remarkable difference between the both scripts is in their scripts
those are vowels and consonants. I try to prepare a chart on their vowels and
consonants preceded by the Ashokan Brāhmī, Devanāgarī and Roman diacritics. At
first the chart of vowels –
Ashokan Brahmī (AB) Gupta Brāhmī (GB)
Two straight lines are drawn from In GB, we notice the prominence of the
the left to right and joined in the head-mark which was referred to by earlier
middle point of a vertical line Palaeographers as the ‘serif’. Very soon the
which makes an acute angle. tapering thickness of the KB is degenerated
into a short head-mark, from which the
upper stroke depends. It helps to keep the
letters in line and was also useful in
maintaining their equal breadth. Straight
form of vertical line and not so curviness of
lower left stroke like KB are noticed here.

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In the case of ā-kāra, an one straight In GB the form of ā-kāra is almost same like
horizontal line or bar is added to a-kāra. But here on the top of the straight
the right side of a-kāra. vertical line, a horizontal line can be seen
with its cursive form towards down.
AB consists of three dots placed In the GB period, the shape of i-kāra is
trianglewise. Mostly the apex to opposite to AB and KB. Here, on the top of
top is on the right, sometimes it is the diagram there are two small circles with
on the left side also. hollow and a symbol like ‘comma’ with its
hollow mouth denote the shape of i-kāra.
Fourth dot is added with three of Only two hollow circles are occurred
short i, each dot being placed at vertically and a straight vertical line on right
the four angles of the quadrangle. side of them denote the shape of ī-kāra in GB.
Two straight lines generally In GB period head-stroke is common with
meeting at a right angle and very KB. But the shape of u-kāra is completely
rarely at an acute angle opening different. That is from the head-stroke, a
right side The horizontal line is vertical medium line is coming towards the
longer than the vertical usually. It bottom and from the last point of the line a
looks like English letter ‘L’. downward curve extended further opening
to the left side.
Same as u-kāra. Only one shorter Not found
horizontal line is added to the top
of the base.
Only a cross sign With GB a-kāra a triangle with acute angle
opening mouth towards right is added in
the bottom of the vertical line.
Cross figure is common here. But Not found
the right side bottom a half-circle
opening towards right is added.
Not found Not found
Not found Not found
When AB i-kāra, consisting of Same as AB. But the apex is on the right side.
trianglewise three dots, are joined
by lines then e-kāra formed
A horizontal bar on the left side of Not found
the top of the e-kāra denotes the ai-
kāra in AB
O-kāra is formed by adding a Here the shape of a-kāra is same as GB a-
horizontal bar to the top left of u- kāra. In a-kāra left-side head-stroke is there.
kāra. But in o-kāra two cursive forms of two small
vertical lines are noticed here on both sides.
Shape is like o-kāra. Only one extra Two head-strokes are noticed on the top of
horizontal line is added in the the upper cursive form and the vertical line.

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middle portion of the vertical line. One small cursive form under the upper
cursive form. Making a trident three small
lines are added on the right side of the top of
the vertical line.
A small dot is added on the top A small dot is added on the top right side or
right side or on the top of the AB a- on the top of the GB a-kāra.
kāra.
Two small dots are added vertically Two small dots are added vertically on the
on the right side of the AB a-kāra. right side of the GB a-kāra.

A chart is prepared on consonants for comparison of the AB and GB –

Ashokan Brahmī (AB) Gupta Brāhmī (GB)
Simple cross like a plus (+) sign. Here Clear head-stroke and the cursive form
vertical line is longer than the of horizontal line of AB is noticed here.
horizontal.
Kha looks like a fish-hook upside down Left limb of kha-kāra has foot marks. It is
with a hollow circle. Sometimes dot is rounded with flat top. Here triangle is
noticed instead of hollow circle. started from right to left and meets with
the hook making a triangle.
Two straight lines meeting at an acute The right arm of ga-kāra is prolonged
angle opening downwards. Sometimes here. The left limb of ga-kāra has foot
the apex of the angle is rounded off. marks. Here upper portion of ga-kāra is
slightly flattened rounded shape.
Gha-kāra has a flattened bottom with Only one head-stroke on the left side is
three vertical strokes. Among them the seen. A half-rounded (looks like) base
left is longest than the two, and middle and on the base three straight lines in
is shortest than two. which middle is shortest among two.
Two horizontal lines meet with a The upper portion is same. But the base
vertical line. Upper horizontal is is linger and and developed into a
shorter than the base. cursive form.
By drawing a semi-circle on the left Ca-kāra shows the inverted beaked type
side of a vertical line, the AB ca-kāra is with graceful bends.
formed.
By duplicating the semi-circle of ca- With a head-mark a vertical line is
kāra, cha-kāra is formed. slightly cursive towards from left to
right. But here the vertical line is in
slightly cursive form.
Angularized with three arms looking With head-mark three-armed ja-kāra
like roman capital ‘E’. where lower-arm bent downwards.
Here an angular form made by adding Here cursive form is noticed but hook is
right-angular-hook to the middle of missing.
the vertical opening upwards.

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It looks like opposite of jha-kāra. But Here semi-circle instead of half-circle
here mouth opens upside down with a and small –hook instead of big are
stroke added to the top-left. noticed.
A full semi-circle opening to the right- Not a semi-circle but open to the right.
side.
A full circle Same as AB
By adding a vertical stroke to the top Head-stroke is also seen here. Middle
of the ṭa-kāra, but the semi-circle is horizontal line is slightly attached with
straight here looking like a step. upper and lower vertical line. – this
portion is almost missing.
Drawn from the top downwards. It Form the middle point of the head-
seems to have been originally formed stroke the AB ḍha-kāra formed by the
by adding a loop on the right to the extension of the right-side loop with a
bottom of ḍa-kāra. But it is not angular hollow mouth but the extended portions
like ḍa. It is rounded. are not so bigger .
It is formed by drawing a Looped variety of the open-mouthed
perpendicular line on two horizontal with two outer curves.
base and both are shorter than the
perpendicular. Looks like roman
capital ‘I’.
Ta-kāra is formed by appending an Here vertical line is missing. Curved ta-
angle just below the vertical kāra meets with the head-stroke directly.
Tha-kāra has a dot in the centre of ṭha-
Tha-kāra with a circle having a dot
kāra. It is full circle. within.
It is made up of a semi-circle openingRounded da-kāra with head-stroke with
to the right with two perpendicular a hook opening inner-side. Bottom line
lines on the top and bottom. is missing here also.
Looks like a Roman capital ‘D’. Clear oval shape
A perpendicular line on a horizontal Na-kāra with looped on the left base and
base the end-point of the loop extended to
the right bottom and bigger than the
base with head-stroke.
Resemblance with fish-hook opening to Right-side head-stroke is missing. Left-
the right side arm in a cursive form and with a
cursive base meets with the right vertical
line. It looks like Moḍī va-kāra, but there
head-mark is mandatory.
Added a loop to the hook of pa-kāra. AB type hook is missing here. Left arm
curved towards right-side and from the
ending point a vertical line is started
and meets with the left arm making a
triangle.

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Perfect square shape Same as AB.
It is formed from ba-kāra. Here is a Completely changed. Middle bar is
notch between the vertical and the elongated. Middle vertical line is looped
angular hook. attaching with the head-stroke.
Two strokes towards left and right on Shape is completely changed. Two
a triangle denotes the shape of ma-kāra. slanting arms on a bent base and one
head-stroke on left arm.
A vertical line in the middle of the arc Flattened base with three vertical lines.
of a circle. Head-stroke is seen on the middle line.
Left vertical line is developed into a curl
and finally turned into a loop.
One straight vertical line Only a straight line with head-stroke.
Reversed fish-hook with a short Fish-hook is clearly seen. With flattened
horizontal line from the tip of the hook base right-arm curved towards left-side
towards left. and bigger than the left-arm. The head-
stroke towards right-side on the right-
arm is not so bigger .
Appending to a short vertical line a Rounded shape is changed into a
circle denotes the shape of va-kāra. triangle with a head-stroke.
The palatal śa-kāra has resemblance Here right arm is lengthened than the
with ga-kāra but one additional stroke left; foot-mark is seen at the end-point of
appended in its inner side the left-limb. Middle stroke of AB turned
into a horizontal bar joining two arms.
It looks like AB pa-kāra; but it has a Same as GB pa-kāra; but a slanted line is
straight horizontal line towards right- noticed from the head-stroke to the end
side, looking like roman small ‘t’. of the vertical line.
It has an additional hook in the same In GB the left hook of sa-kāra becomes a
direction attached to the long arm of part of the left stroke, and when they are
the form of pa-kāra. drawn in a single action with the
remaining limbs the looped sa-kāra is
produced.
The reverse from of la-kāra denotes the Completely changed in GB. From a
ha-kāra in AB. It is similar to Bengali small head-stroke a small vertical line is
‘eight’ (āṭa) (Roman – 8; Bengali) noticed towards the bottom and from
the ending point a half-circle towards
left is also noticed.
These are the scriptural comparison between KB and GB. As an example the
Bārākhaḍī of these two scripts is –
Ro. ka kā ki kī ku kū kr̥ kṝ kl̥ kḹ ke kai ko kau kaṃ kaḥ
De.
AB
GB

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Ro.- Roman diacritics; De. – Devanāgarī; AB, KB, GB – above said
Conclusion – It is well known to all of us that Brāhmī and Kharoṭhī are
considered to be the earliest known scripts of India. The former is reported through
datable records in the form of rock and Pillar inscriptions of the Mouryan emperor
Aśoka in the 3rd cent. BC. After the evolution of Brāhmī time to time, it shows its
own variations like Tāmila, Bhaṭṭipralu, Kuṣāṇa, Gupta, Pallava, Sātavāhana, Vākāṭaka,
Rāṣṭrakūṭa, Cālukya, Kadamba etc. I try to find out the differences between Ashokan
Brāhmī and Gupta Brāhmī of 3rd BCE and 4th century AD respectively. Though they
are from different dynasties, so some changes, some development and so on are
must be noticed by the reputed Palaeographers. I try to discuss them as per my
view. For examples, some images of AB and GB inscriptions are attached here –

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Author’s Detail
Address: Research Assistant
School of Vedic Studies
Rabindra Bharati University
Kolkata – 50, West Bengal, India
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