Identify the scripts which were deciphered by James Prinsep in 1830s?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Brahmi and Kharosthi
Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions. Its biggest step forward came in the 1830s, when James Prinsep, an officer in the mint of the East India Company, deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi, the two scripts used in the earliest inscriptions and coins.
Prinsep found that most of these inscriptions spoke of a king called Piyadassi, “pleasant to behold”; a few also named him Asoka. This opened the way for scholars to rebuild the political history of early India from inscriptions.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| 24-05 S2 | – | – | 22-05 S2* 24-05 S2* | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT (2025-26): “1. Prinsep and Piyadassi … Some of the most momentous developments in Indian epigraphy took place in the 1830s. This was when James Prinsep, an officer in the mint of the East India Company, deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi, two scripts used in the earliest inscriptions and coins. He found that most of these mentioned a king referred to as Piyadassi – meaning ‘pleasant to behold’; there were a few inscriptions which also referred to the king as Asoka, one of the most famous rulers known from Buddhist texts.…” |