KANNADA SCRIPT: EVOLUTION

KANNADA SCRIPT: EVOLUTION

Indus valley script, brAhmi script and kharOSTi are three important varieties of scripts that were prevalent in ancient India. The scripts of modern Indian languages have evolved from one of these scripts over the centuries. The Kannada script is one among the evolved forms of Brahmi. Brahmi script (3^rd Century B.C.) and more particularly its southern incarnation is found in the Ashokan edicts found in many places of Karnataka such as sannati, brahmagiri, koppaLada gavimaTa, candravaLLi, siddApura, maski et al. This is essentially a left to right script and Kannada has followed suit. The evolution of the script is dependent on many factors such as the writing material, (Stone, Copper, Palm leaf, Paper etc) writing tools, modes of writing and the background of the scribes. Important inventions spurred by technology such as those of paper, printing, typing and the fonts used in computers have had their own influences over a period of time. The origin of Brahmi script has given rise to heated debates among the paleographers who have argued in favour of indigenous and non indigenous origins.

Kannada script has traveled a long way from the earlier Brahmi model. It has undergone a number of changes during the regimes of sAtavAhana, kadmba, ganga, raSTrakUTa, cALukya, hoysaLa and other dynasties that came after them. These changes were brought about, because of regional variations caused by writing practices that were tolerated. A pan Indian model was conspicuous by its absence. Many letters in the Brahmi script were written differently in South India as compared to the North. Earlier changes indicated a shift from square like and angular letters to curved and decorated letters. However one need not assume that these changes were linear and unidirectional. For instance, the decorative nature of the Hoysala script caused by their panache for soap stone gets subdued during the Vijayanagara regime because they had to write their inscriptions on granite which is much harder.

The second stage of the development of the Brahmi script in Karnataka is found in the inscriptions of banavAsi, maLavaLLi and myAkadONi. (2-3 centuries A.D.)

The Kannada script used in the inscriptions of Kadmbas is deemed to be the earliest model which can be called Kannada as distinct from the Brahmi. Box headed letters (caukAkritiya talakaTTu) were already in use both in Kannada inscriptions as also the Gupta script which was contemporaneous to it. These letters are lesser in height and a little more rounded. CandravaLLi inscription of MayUrasharma, halmidi inscription of kAkusthavarma and the tALagunda inscription again of kAkusthavarma and the copper plate inscriptions of mrigEShavarma belong to this period.

The Kannada script from the inscriptions of Ganga kings who ruled from the southern part of Karnataka do not have box headed or triangular ‘talakaTTu’. The lower parts of the letters have a tendency to be broader and taller. The same letter is written in more than one way in many copper plates of Gangas. The inscriptions installed by the Ganga king installed at different junctures of their very prolonged rule exhibit different characteristics.

The inscriptions of the CALukyas of bAdAmi are the ones installed by kings like mangalIsha, pulakEshi etc. Here the ‘talakaTTu’ is almost a straight line. Letters such as ಯ, ರ, ಸ, ಹ and ದ have more are less stabilized as early as the 7^th century.

The process of stabilization set in during the reign of bAdAmi cAlukyas gained ground during the next three centuries when rAshTrakUTas were in power. Letters such as ಅ. ಆ, ಎ, ಕ and ಖ arrived at their final shape during this period.

The Kannada script underwent some important changes during the days of kalyANi cAlukyAs. This variety was called Old Kannada script by scholars like Buhler and Fleet. They letters are more rounded. ಇ, ಗ, ಘ, ಯ, ಲ and ವ got stabilized during the regime of Kalyani Chalukyas. The letter ಣ and ಭ acquired new shapes. ‘talakaTtu’ lost its perfunctory nature and became a distinct curve.

The Hoysala as well as the kaLachuri and sEvuNa scripts have by and large followed the Kalyani Chalukya model with more decorative details. This is particularly true of the Hoysala inscriptions because they make use of soap stone which is eminently pliable. Hence the letters are highly rounded and embellished.

On the contrary the inscriptions of the Vijayanagara Empire are regressive because of the stubborn granite which they used as writing material. The letters are rather crude and unattractive. The practice of indicating aspiration by splitting the letter at the bottom by drawing a small vertical line (hokkaLu sILuvudu) was inaugurated during this period. (ಥ, ಧ, ಢ, ಫ)

The letters used in the inscriptions of the Wodeyar dynasty are mostly similar to the letters that are being used now with a few exceptions which continue to be archaic. The bindu or anuswAra used to indicate nasal consonants is written next to the relevant consonant. Consonant-vowel combinations and consonant clusters are indicated in the script as per the methods evolved over a period of time.

There are many points of similarity between the Kannada script and the Telugu scripts. Kannada has created graphical representations of the Dravidian sounds as well as the Sanskrit sounds whenever they are used in the language. Consequently there is more or less one to one correspondence between the sound and the corresponding letter. The evolutions of some important Kannada letters are provided as illustrative material as an appendix to this note.