Context:
A team of archaeologists recently discovered two stone inscriptions of ‘Grantham’ and Tamil dating 11th and 16th centuries respectively at Pazhnchervazhi village near Kangayam.
Relevance:
GS I: History
Dimensions of the Article:
- Grantha Inscriptions: Preserving Historical Scripts in South India
- Periods of Grantha Inscriptions
- Post-Independence Influence
Grantha Inscriptions: Preserving Historical Scripts in South India
Overview:
- Grantha, a historical script, was once widely used for writing Sanskrit in South East Asia and greater Tamil Nadu.
- The term “Grantha” in Sanskrit signifies a literary work, reflecting its association with writing Sanskrit works.
- Initially prevalent throughout South India, it played a crucial role in the development of the Malayalam language, where it was known as Arya Ezhuthu.
Evolution and Similarity:
- Both Grantha and Tamil scripts, derived from Brahmi, share similarities in their modern forms.
- The evolution of Grantha in Tamil Nadu can be categorized into four periods: archaic and ornamental, transitional, medieval, and modern.
Periods of Grantha Inscriptions:
- Archaic and Ornamental (Pallava Grantha): Notable examples include Mahendravarman’s Tiruchirapalli rock-cut cave, Narasimhan’s Mamallapuram, and Mutharaiyar’s Senthalai inscriptions.
- Transitional (650 CE – 950 CE): Associated with later Pallavas (Nandivarman’s Kasakudi, Udayendram plates) and Pandyan Nedunjadaiyan’s Anaimalai inscriptions.
- Medieval (950 CE – 1250 CE): Imperial Chola inscriptions from Thanjavur exemplify this period.
- Modern (Later Pandyas to Vijayanagar): Continued until the early 20th century, popularized for transcribing Sanskrit books.
Post-Independence Influence:
- With the advent of printing machines, many Sanskrit books transcribed in Grantha script were printed.
- Post-independence, the rise of Hindi in Devanagari script led to the decline of Grantha script’s popularity in printing.
-Source: The Hindu
