The Middle East resonates with the echoes of war, a stage where Israel and Iran's struggles entwine, now drawing the United States into the fray. Amidst this tumult lies a tapestry of history—4,000 years of Iran's safeguarded legacy. A legacy painted with rich culture, culinary delights, attire, and the art of script.
As humans discovered speech, they sought to further cement expressions with symbols. These symbols emerged as diverse pictures, birthing scripts. This broad sketch outlines the linguistic evolution of primitive humans. India's ancient history recalls numerous scripts, including Brahmi, Shankh, Sharada, and Devanagari. Yet the lineage doesn't end here—other names like Pali, Prakrit, and Gupta emerged. Our focus, however, is the importance of the Kharosthi script.
Kharosthi: Among the World's Ancient Scripts
We discuss Kharosthi because it's an ancient script interwoven with world civilization's tapestry, notably with ancient Iran's role. This script threads two distinct geographical regions—from two and a half to three thousand years ago—into a singular narrative. Cultural, commercial, and historical ties between the Indian subcontinent and ancient Iran (Persia) span centuries, with script development and proliferation being crucial. Kharosthi, prevalent in ancient India's northwestern regions, is deeply rooted in Iran's cultural and administrative frameworks.
Kharosthi was a major script in ancient India, especially in northwestern India (now Pakistan and Afghanistan) from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Written from right to left, this script was considered a key script in the Gandhara region. It was used for administrative documents, inscriptions, coins, and Buddhist scriptures. Its origins trace back to the Aramaic script, the official script of ancient Iran's Achaemenid Empire.
How Were Kharosthi Characters Formed?
Sharing insights, Dr. Ankit Jaiswal, an ancient history and archaeology researcher, explains that Kharosthi characters are not linked with Brahmi characters. They are based on Aramaic characters. Achaemenid rulers conducted governance using the Aramaic script, prevalent across Western Asia. This same script birthed Kharosthi. Although Achaemenid rulers formulated a new script for Aramaic language, Aramaic language and script remained widely used as it was the choice of governance.
Prior to Achaemenid rule, while the empire wasn't yet formed, Iran included the entire Gandhara region. The populace of Gandhara became familiar with the Aramaic script because it was used in governance. Artifacts bearing Aramaic inscriptions were found in Taxila and Afghanistan. The Aramaic script, fundamentally Semitic, like other Semitic scripts (Phoenician, Hebrew, Arabic), is written right to left.
Semitic scripts suited Semitic languages, lacking vowel indicators. Yet, based on Semitic scripts, alphabets for Indo-European languages emerged. Ancient Iran's prior scripts evolved from Aramaic influence, leading to Avestan script. Pre-Brahmi and contemporary to Brahmi scripts in Iran also trace back to Aramaic origins, around 500 BCE. Darius (559-530 BCE), a notable Achaemenid emperor, reigns over a period when Bisitun inscriptions possibly appeared in 'Kharosthi'.
One opinion suggests that Kharosthi derives from the word 'Khash-post'. 'Khash' means 'king', paralleling Sanskrit 'Kshitish' or 'Shah' in Iranian. 'Post' means 'letter', appearing in ancient Iranian scripts. This clarifies its origin from 'Royal decree letter', or similar terms.
Recorded in Buddhist Manuscripts
Initially, European scholars labeled it Bactrian, Indo-Bactro-Pali, or Ariano-Pali. Kharosthi finds mention in Lalitavistara (a Mahayana Buddhist text) among 64 scripts. Its root lies in Kharo-post (Ukhara-post Ukharosht). 'Post' is from Iranian, meaning 'skin'. In Mahamayuri, a northwestern Indian city deity's name appears as Kharapost. According to Chinese tradition, sage Kharostha invented it, though the story remains unclear. Some scholars propose an Iranian or Central Asian origin, reflecting the region's multicultural essence.
The Kharosthi script pervaded Gandhara and its surroundings. King Ashoka's (268-232 BCE) edicts in northwest regions, like Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra, utilized Kharosthi, echoing Buddhist dissemination and the script's administrative significance.
Kharosthi's use expanded beyond administration. As Buddhism spread, numerous Buddhist texts were penned in this script. Gandhari Prakrit documents journeyed to Central Asia and China, with Buddhism traveling there. Birch bark manuscripts inscribed in Kharosthi still surface in archaeological digs, underscoring its literary and religious importance.
Where Did it Spread?
Trade routes linking ancient Iran and India, like the Silk Road, served as cultural bridges. Through these paths, ideas, art, and scripts navigated alongside goods. Kharosthi reached Central Asia's Bactria (now Afghanistan) and Sogdiana, lying within ancient Iran's influence. With the rise of the Kushan Empire (1st to 3rd century CE), Kharosthi's significance surged.
Kushan rulers, steeped in Central Asian and Iranian heritage, utilized Kharosthi on coins and inscriptions. The dual use of Kharosthi and Greek scripts on Kushan coins mirrored the region's multicultural identity. The Kushan Empire acted as a cultural conduit between Iran, India, and Central Asia, where Kharosthi played a pivotal role.
