The vernacular alphabets of the Peninsula of India are those of Assam, the Kutila, Gurumukhi, Nagari, Bengali, Orissa, Gujerati, Sindi, Multani, Telugu, Canarese, Grantha (Tulu), and Tamil.
The- vernacular alphabets of Further India and the islands are the Kiousa, Burinese, square Pali, Singhalese, Pegu, Ahom, Battak (old), Battak (new), Rejang, Lampong, Tagala, Bisaya, Macas sar,• and Bugi. All these have originated from one single source, the alphabet used in the edicts of Asoka, the Buddhist king. He was zealous for hiS faith, and in the'years 253 to 25'0 B.c. he promulgated edicts enjoining obedience to its ordinances. Between Peshawur and Ceylon seventeen versions of these edicts, engraved on rocks and pillars, have been discovered, and like wise several dedicatory inscriptions on caves or rock-cut temples constructed by him ; and there are also six pillar inscriptions, of which the best known are those at Dehli and.Allahabad. In the 2d and 13th edicts, Asoka mentions as his ally and contemporary the Yona-raja or Ionian king A.ntiyoke, and also refers to the C6tura rajane, or four rajas, Turarnye, Antikini Maka, and Alikasandare, who are known to b'e Ptolemy II. of Egypt, Antigonus of Macedonia, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander of Epirus.
These inscriptions of Asoka are written in three local Pali or Prakrit dialects, and two wholly distinct alphabets are employed. An inscription at Kapurdigiri is in the Indo-Bactrian alphabet, an alphabet of Iranian origin ; while that used in the other versions of the edicts was at first named the 'Lat or pillar character„but latterly the Indo Pali, and it is this one which is the source of the existing Indian scripts.
The Kapurdigiri alphabet is an isolated monu ment of a great Bactrian alphabet, in which the Zoroastrian books and au extensive literature luul been in all probability conserved. The Kapurdi giri form was put aside during the time of Alexander of Macedon and his officers, but later on, in the time of Asoka, it AVM agaiu utilized for this inscription. It has, however, been in use in Ariana (Herat), , INfargiana (Merv), 13actriana (13okliara), Alexandria, Arachosia (Kandahar), and in IndLa throughout the Panjab. The
alphabet of the Kapurdigiri inscription has had several names,—Aryan, Bactrian, etc. It is now called the Indo-Bactrian. It is slanting, cursive, and irregular, singularly free-from looped forms, and written from right to left. The Indo-Pali or Lat is written from left to right ; it is regular, upright, and rigid, with nuinerous looped forms. The source of the Lat alphabet has been variously suggested.
In the 12 centuries between Asoka, B.C. 250, and the 10th century A.D., various vernacular scripts of India were formed. In three inscriptions of this epoch, namely, the Kutila or Bareilly inscrip tion of A.D. 992, the Chalukya or Kistna inscrip tion of 945, and a Kawi inscription of 919, the characteristic features of the three great alphabetic types of India, the Nagari the Dravidian, and the Pali, can unmistakeably be recognised.
The Nagari or Devanagari group of alphabets nre employed in Kashmir, the Panjab, the N.W. Provinces, Oudh, Rajputana, Gujerat, Central Provinces, Maharashtra., Behar, Bengal, and Orissa, and the Tibetan alphabets belong essenti 'ally to this group.
The Devanagari is the chief character employed for writing the ancient Sanskrit language. Devana gari is of comparatively modern origin.
The Gurumukhi character is used by the Sikhs.
Kashmir has two alphabets,—the Sarada, nearly identical with the Devanagari, and the Thakuri, inclining to the Gurumukhi type.
Mahrati is written in two characters ; that used for books is called Bal-bodh, intelligible to a child,' and is nearly the same DR the Devanag,ari the other, called Modi, is cursive of the Gurumuklu type.
The Bengali prototype is to be seen iu old Gauri inscriptions.
Uria of Orissa belongs to the same class, but has many archaic forms ; it is now written oil palm leaves with an iron style.
Nepal uses four scripts,—tho Newari, which is nearly the same as the Devanagari ; the Banjin Mola, belonging to the Bengali type ; with the Kaiti-Nagari and the Ranja of intermediate character.