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Who among the following first deciphered the Brahmi script in 1837?

Who among the following first deciphered the Brahmi script in 1837? Correct Answer James Prinsep

The correct answer is James Prinsep.

Key Points

  • James Prinsep was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary.
  • He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India. 
  • In addition to pursuing his job in India as an assay master at the Benares Mint, he investigated, recorded, and drew numerous areas of numismatics, metallurgy, and meteorology.
  • Prinsep made a series of watercolours titled Benares Illustrated.
  • In A Series of Drawings while in Benares to illustrate his study of Indian temple construction, which was published between 1830 and 1834 in London.
  • He also created a chapel, a new mint building, a network of canals in Bengal, and the new mint building in Benares.

Additional Information

  • Alexander Cunningham:
    • Alexander Cunningham was an engineer with the British Army's Bengal Engineer Group who later developed a passion for Indian history and archaeology.
    • He established and organized what would later become the Archaeological Survey of India after being appointed to the newly created office of archaeological surveyor by the government of India in 1861. He was also Allan Cunningham's father, a mathematician.
  • Dayaram Sahni:
    • In 1921 and 1922, Dayaram Sahni, an Indian-British raj archaeologist, oversaw the excavation of the Indus valley site at Harappa.
    • Sahni, a disciple of John Marshall, was named the first Indian Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1931 and held that position until 1935.
  • John Marshall:
    • Sir John Hubert Marshall was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902 to 1928. 
    • He was responsible for the excavations that led to the discovery of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, two of the key city sites of the Indus Civilisation.

Related Questions

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Brahmi Script was deciphered in 1837 by James Princep. 2. Brahmi Script is also known as Gandhari Script. 3. Devanagari is based on Brahmi Script.
With reference to the scripts used in prehistoric and ancient India, consider the following statements: 1. The Harappan script is a pictographic script that is yet to be deciphered. 2. Brahmi script is written from right to left while the Kharoshti script is written from left to right. 3. Greek and Aramaic scripts were used in writing Ashokan inscriptions in Afghanistan. Which of the statements given above are correct
Consider the following statements regarding Harappan script 1. The Harappan script has still to be fully deciphered. 2. The script is largely connected to Roman Language 3. The script was mostly written from left to right. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Who deciphered the Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts?
Statement I: James Prinsep, an officer in the mint of the East India Company, deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts which were used in the earliest inscriptions and coins. Statement II: James Prinsep found that most of the scripts mentioned a king referred to as Piyadassi-meaning 'pleasant to behold'
Who was the first of decipher the inscriptions of Ashoka and the Brahmi script?
Consider the following statements.
1. Urdu is the second official language of Jharkhand.
2. Inventor of Ol Chiki script was Pandit Raghunath Murmu.
3. Ol Chiki script is the script for all tribal language of Jharkhand.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
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1. Punjabi is mostly written in Gurmukhi script.
2. Gurmukhi script has 41 letters including 38 consonants.
3. Comparison with Roman script there is the striking difference between the two scripts.
Select the correct answer
Consider the following statements about Ashoka's inscriptions: 1. Most of the inscriptions are in the Prakrit language 2. Most of the inscriptions are in the Brahmi script Which of the statements given above is/are true?
Consider the following statements. 1. The bronze statues of Harappan civilization were made using the “lost wax” technique 2. In the Indus Valley Civilization, the style of script is Brahmi. 3. The seals were mostly made up of steatite. Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?