James Prinsep
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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 Bra
James Prinsep in medal cast c. 1840 from the National Portrait Gallery
Young James drawn by his sister Emily
A Preacher Expounding The Poorans. In The Temple of Unn Poorna, Benares. Lithograph by Prinsep (1835)
Lithograph of Kupuldhara Tulao, Benares by Prinsep (1834)
Brahmi script
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Brahmi is a writing system from ancient India that appeared as a fully developed script in the 3rd century BCE. Its descendants, the Brahmic scripts, continue to be used today across South and Southea
A later (mistaken) theory of a pictographic-acrophonic origin of the Brahmi script, on the model of the Egyptian hieroglyphic script, by Alexander Cunningham in 1877.
Coin (circa 180 BCE) of Agathocles with Indian deities, in Greek and Brahmi. Obverse: With Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ (Basileōs Agathokleous). Reverse: With Brahmi legend:𑀭𑀸𑀚𑀦𑁂 𑀅𑀕𑀣𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀮𑀬𑁂𑀲 Rājane Agathukleyesa .
A proposed connection between the Brahmi and Indus scripts, made in the 19th century by Alexander Cunningham.