Question

What is the difference between Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts?

Hint:

Brahmi is the ancestor of most Indian scripts, whereas Kharosthi was unique to the northwestern regions of India. Both scripts were important in ancient Indian history, especially for inscriptions.

Answer 1

The Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts were both ancient Indian writing systems used for different purposes and in different regions. Here is a comparison of their main differences:
Step 1: Brahmi Script.
The Brahmi script is one of the oldest known scripts of India and is believed to have been used as early as the 3rd century BCE. It is the precursor to many Indian scripts, including Devanagari. Brahmi is an abugida script, where each character represents a consonant with an inherent vowel sound, which can be modified with diacritics. The Brahmi script was used to write languages like Sanskrit and Prakrit, and it was employed by Ashoka in his inscriptions.
Step 2: Kharosthi Script.
The Kharosthi script was used primarily in the region of Gandhara, in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan, from around the 5th century BCE. Unlike Brahmi, Kharosthi is an alphabetic script, where each symbol represents a consonant or a vowel. The Kharosthi script was used mainly for writing Gandhari Prakrit and some early Buddhist texts.
Step 3: Key Differences.
- Origin and Usage: Brahmi was used across a wide area in India, while Kharosthi was used primarily in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent.
- Writing Direction: Brahmi was written from left to right, while Kharosthi was written from right to left.
- Script Structure: Brahmi is an abugida (with inherent vowels) while Kharosthi is an alphabet (representing both consonants and vowels independently).