Yes, the most widely accepted theory among mainstream scholars is that the Brahmi script was derived from or heavily influenced by Aramaic or other Semitic scripts. Aramaic was the bureaucratic language of the Achaemenid Empire, which controlled the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, including the region of Takshashila, from before 500 BCE.
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Takshashila was a major hub where Aramaic inscriptions have been found, including one potentially referencing the Mauryan emperor Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi".
Key points of the theory:
- Geographic proximity and political context: The Achaemenid Empire's presence facilitated the transfer of the Aramaic writing system to ancient India.
- Kharoshthi link: The contemporary Kharoshthi script, used in the same general northwestern region (Gandhara), is widely accepted as a direct derivative of Aramaic. It is thought that Kharoshthi may have influenced the structural organization of Brahmi, or both were inspired by a common Aramaic model.
- Adaptation: While the idea of an alphabet and some letter forms were likely borrowed, Indian scholars extensively modified the system to suit the phonetics of Prakrit and Sanskrit, creating the highly systematic and scientific abugida (a writing system where each consonant has an inherent vowel, modified by diacritics) known as Brahmi. This extensive adaptation explains the significant differences between the two scripts.
Alternative Theories:
While the Aramaic origin is the leading candidate, it remains a subject of debate. Other theories, often proposed by non-specialists, suggest:
- An indigenous origin, potentially evolving from the undeciphered Indus script c. 2800 BCE (Editor i.e. before the flood).
- A "hybrid" origin, where Indian scholars used Aramaic, Phoenician, and Greek letters as sources.
The lack of archeological evidence for writing in the millennium between the Indus Valley Civilization's decline and the sudden appearance of fully developed Brahmi in Ashoka's time is the main obstacle to the indigenous origin theory.
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