Contribution and Perspectives of Paranavitana in researching Early-Brahmi Inscriptions of Sri Lanka

Having received ‘Epigraphia Zeylanica-Volume I’ as a present in 1912, little did young Paranavitana might have thought that he would become a greater Epigraphist in Sri Lanka and become the Editor of the same book one day. Showcasing his vast knowledge of Epigraphy in front of the then Archaeological Commissioner A.M. Hocart, Senerat Paranavitana was able to secure a job as an Epigraphy Assistant under Hocart in 1923. Upon a scholarship offered by the Indian government, Paranavitana obtained a 3-year professional training in India (1926-1929) under the renowned Epigraphist Sri Krishna Shastri and pioneering Archaeologist John Marshall. Accordingly, after returning to Sri Lanka in 1929, he was appointed to the Editorial post of ‘Epigraphia Zeylanica’, a book series published by the Department of Archaeology on Epigraphy, in which he served till 1964. ‘Sigiri Graffiti’, which was published in two volumes containing interpretations and linguistic analysis of 685 graffiti, is considered one of his research masterpieces in Epigraphy. Furthermore, he was instrumental in developing a system to decipher the character morphology of the Mohenjo Daro-Harappa Civilization, which gained him a massive international reputation. Having such a profound background in Sri Lankan Epigraphy, Prof. Senerat Paranavitana initiated another publication series named, ‘Inscriptions of Ceylon’, where ‘Volume I’ was published in 1970 when he was alive and ‘Volume II’ in a later period.

In understanding the subject of epigraphy, an ‘Epigraph’ (අභිලේඛනය) is any type of text that is written on any material surface, be it a stone slab, clay tile, copper plate or an ola leaf. Here the blog writer focuses on the text inscribed on stone surfaces which are known as ‘Inscriptions (සෙල්ලිපි/ ශිලාලිපි)’. These stone inscriptions are generally classified into four categories namely, Cave Inscriptions (ලෙන්ලිපි), Rock Inscriptions (ගිරිලිපි), Pillar Inscriptions (ටැම්ලිපි) and Slab Inscriptions (පුවරුලිපි). Furthermore, upon the character morphology/ alphabet used in Sri Lankan epigraphs, the following stages have been identified by the Epigraphists.

• Early Brahmi Period –  (3rd Century BC – 1st Century BC)
• Later Brahmi Period –  (1st Century AD – 4th Century AD)
• Post-Brahmi Period –  (5th Century AD – 6th Century AD)
• Early Sinhalese Period/ Transitional Period –  (7th Century AD – 8th Century AD)
• Later Sinhalese Period –  (9th Century AD – 10th Century AD)
• Post-Sinhalese Period –  (11th Century AD – 14th Century AD)
• Modern Sinhalese Period –  (15th Century AD – to date)

Accordingly, the initial stage of Sri Lankan writings (3rd Century BC – 1st Century BC) are found in early Brahmi scripts, which are mostly found in the form of cave Inscriptions (ලෙන්ලිපි) and a less number of occasions as rock Inscriptions (ගිරිලිපි). Prof. Senerat Paranavitana was instrumental in researching on these early-Brahmi inscriptions and, in commemorating his 50^th death anniversary, the objective of this blog writer is to explore the research contribution of Prof. Paranavitana on early-Brahmi inscriptions of Sri Lanka and to study his perspectives in that regard through his writings in ‘Inscriptions of Ceylon- Volume I’.

Overall, Prof. Paranavitana has believed that early-Brahmi inscriptions of Sri Lanka have been comparatively neglected. To some extent he has believed that the cause is due to its abundance of availability.

“…Had there been only a few dozen of these cave inscriptions extant, more papers might have been contributed about them to learned journals than have been the case with regard to the many hundreds which are available for study…. (Paranavitana, 1970)”  

Another cause he identified was when compared to the contemporary edicts of Asoka and some longer post-Mauryan inscriptions of India, such as Andhras and Kharavela, these cave inscriptions of Sri Lanka appear as small and negligible. However, he has clearly proven that “indeed they would appear as small fry; but the historical and linguistic information supplied by them, when taken together, is not negligible (Paranavitana, 1970)”, within a broader chronological limit.

Figure 1,2 – Inscriptions of Ceylon – Volume I (Cover page and Content page)

As depicted in Figures 1 and 2, Prof. Paranavitana has closely analyzed the information that can be derived from the early-Brahmi inscriptions when taken together. Accordingly, as for the derived Historical data: Royal names, Identification of kings, Local rulers and princes, Royal titles, Brahmanas, Paladins of Dutthagamani, Parumakas, Gamikas, Gapatis, Ethnic groups, Offices of state, Professions and trade, Economic conditions-Land tenure-etc., Religious conditions and personnel, Place names, etc. In addition, he has derived Linguistic information, such as Palaeography (Brahmi symbols, Non-Brahmi symbols), Grammar including Phonology (vowels, consonants, sandhi, etc.), Morphology (nominal forms, pronouns, numerals, nominal compounds, etc.) and Syntax (Figure 2).

By 1970, when the time of book ‘Inscriptions of Ceylon- Volume I’ (hereafter denoted as  ‘IC-Vol I’) was published, Prof. Paranavitana was a person of high calibre, a characteristic which he could earn over time and built by consistently leading with integrity, compassion and delivering results. However, first and foremost, he has been grateful and humble enough to acknowledge the early attempts in deciphering and interpreting early-Brahmi inscriptions in the country such as:A.C. Brodie

• W. Rhys Davids
• Goldschmidt
• Muller
• Henry Parker
• C.P. Bell
• P.S. Siriwardane
• M.de Z. Wickremasinghe
• John Still
• W. Robertson
• L. Brohier
• W. Nicholas

Furthermore, he has acknowledged the painstaking efforts of the employees of various ranks of the Department of Archaeology (then Archaeological Survey of Ceylon) as well as a large number of antiquaries, scholars and administrative officers of various government departments, who contributed to the success of ‘IC-Vol I’ research publication. In addition, he has thanked the general public, including incumbents of ancient temples and schoolmasters for supplying information about early-Brahmi inscriptions in caves and, regretted the inability to mention all those by name as they are too the benefactors of this significant research. This shows the ‘Community-based approach’ that was utilized even in such early days, although that concept has been brought to the limelight by foreign scholars in recent history.

While studying the pre-attempts and publications by several of the aforesaid pioneers, he could discover a considerable number of errors in many of the texts of the inscriptions and their interpretations. However, Prof. Paranavitana has clearly stated that by shall no means they be diminished from the due credit they deserve for their contributions.

“….should by no means detract from the great credit due to these pioneers for their contributions to our knowledge of the ancient culture of this island, which was often the results of work undertaken at great personal risk and sacrifice, and in circumstances of which the difficulties can hardly be imagined by those who pursue their studies of Ceylon history in well-equipped libraries in Europe (Paranavitana, 1970).”

At the same time, Prof. Paranavitana has looked into the causes of the errors that have happened from several of those pioneers as well. Accordingly, he could identify that some inscriptions have been recorded only with eye copies and several of the inked estampages or their photographs are of a very unsatisfactory nature and, due to that, those pioneering scholars had arrived at queer conclusions based on these inadequate and unsatisfactory materials.

Considering the causes for the errors that happened from several of those pioneers, Prof. Paranavitana has highlighted the necessity of taking high-quality mechanical inked estampages. In parallel, he has provided a counter-argument as to why having only eye copies is not sufficient but to have estampages, a process that is associated with great expenditure of material, labour and money. In support of his argument, he has quoted No. 696a inscription (found from Veherakema)  in ‘IC-Vol I’ to show the possibility of making errors through only having eye copies or from low-quality estampages.

“…While it has to be admitted that satisfactory readings of many of these cave records are possible from eye copies made by a trained person, there will always remain some measure of doubt with regard to the reliability of a reading of which the accuracy can be established by a mechanical reproduction. Further, the personal factor can creep into an eye-copy, however, much one may guard against it… (Paranavitana, 1970)”

If someone reading this blog is familiar with the process of taking inked estampages in the present day, he/she surely knows how difficult and cautious that task is. Taking into consideration the period and contexts of the said pioneers and also of Prof. Paranavitana, it is even hard to imagine how difficult it might have been for them. As per Prof. Paranavitana, they had to face numerous types of difficulties and dangers when securing a properly inked estampage of early-Brahmi cave inscription such as, physical difficulties in accessing the sites, poor transportation, difficult supply of provisions, threats of wild animals, disease of Malaria and so on, in which he has recalled as follows.

“…With the exception of a few sites like Mihintale, Yatahalena and Mulgirigala, those containing caves with Brahmi inscriptions had to be reached after trudging for many miles in pathless forests. The roads leading to these jungle tracks were themselves of the poorest quality, and not served, four decades ago, with public conveyances…. (Paranavitana, 1970) ”

“…Camping out at such sites was fraught with danger to life and limb, for they were, as many of them still are, in the haunts of wild elephants, buffaloes, bears and leopards. One had therefore to be mindful not only of one’s own safety, but also of those working with one. The malaria mosquito was even more of a danger than those beasts of prey. An officer after camping out for a prolonged period in these wilds more often than not returned home with a virulent attack of malaria which might not be completely cured for several months, or even years…. (Paranavitana, 1970)”

“…The cave inscriptions are generally found at a considerable height from the ground; the writing itself, in some cases, consists of one line extending to a length of forty or fifty feet; elaborate scaffoldings of jungle timber have to be erected so as to prepare estampages of them. The water necessary to clean the inscription, by removing the moss growing on it, to soak the paper, etc. has often to be conveyed from a distance of a mile or so up the rocky hill-side… (Paranavitana, 1970)”

Another issue associated with the process is the decay of inked estampages with time as estampages on paper could be preserved for only a limited period, even with proper storing facilities and constant care. During that time, the Department of Archaeology had not been provided with proper storage facilities, or staff to take care of them and, those who were there were also paid ill. In addition, the photographs were taken as negatives at that time and they were also prone to decay. Furthermore, losses caused by white ants and rats as well as the hastily shifting of them from the Head office to different places at very short notice during the World War had also caused those epigraphical records to deteriorate. Accordingly, Prof. Paranavitana highlighted the need of properly publishing these early-Brahmi inscriptional records.

Prof. Paranavitana has further provided an argument as to why all these early-Brahmi inscriptions need to be published, given the fact that in some aspects they are of the same pattern and hence, why not to make a publication of a selection from those of highly important on historical, linguistic and palaeological grounds. Accordingly, his counter-argument is as follows.

“ Who is going to make the selection and on what grounds?

  What appears to be of little or no interest to one today might assume an importance when looked at from a different point of view at some later date.”

What is identifiable here is that, his broad vision which presumes future needs as well as his caution to prevent any scholarly mistakes that are prone to happen within academia with regard to the heritage of the country. Therefore, it is evident that the objective of compiling this ‘IC-Vol I’ is the answer to the said research gap.

Accordingly, when Prof. Paranavitana was serving as the Acting-Director-General of the Department of Archaeology in 1934, he has proposed the idea of preparing a ‘Corpus of Ceylon Inscriptions in three volumes’ to the then Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, within whose purview was archaeological research. Dr. Kannangara and his Executive Committee of Education welcome this idea, while the interested scholars, including Sir D.B. Jayatilaka, had considered this idea worth pursuing. Accordingly, Prof. Paranavitana had estimated that the inscriptions known to exist on the island could be dealt within three volumes of 500 pages each, however by 1970, when he initiated compiling ‘IC-Vol I’, he had understood that estimate was insufficient. Even before the idea of ‘IC-Vol I’, Prof. Paranavitana had started securing inked estampages of epigraphs (1932-1934), in particular, the earliest Brahmi inscriptions in caves, which required for ‘IC-Vol I’ later. Once he was permanently appointed to the post of Archaeological Commissioner in 1940, he continued collecting estampages until his retirement in 1956, in which his successors too continued following his steps.

Prof. Paranavitana’s contribution to the field of Epigraphy is immense and can be undoubtedly called the greatest Epigraphist ever produced in Sri Lanka. Among his contribution, ‘IC-Vol I’ is Prof. Paranavitana’s research masterpiece for early-Brahmi inscriptions. The blog writer herself believes it is her privilege to explore the research contribution and perspectives of Prof. Paranavitana on early-Brahmi inscriptions and would like to invite the blog readers to look through this masterpiece ‘Inscriptions of Ceylon- Volume I’.

“There is only one Paranavitana on the entire earth”

– Prof. G.P. Malalasekara –

References

Paranavitana, S., (1970). Inscriptions of Ceylon (Volume I) Early Brahmi Inscriptions. Colombo: Department of Archaeology.

පරණවිතාන, එස්., (2009). පුරාවිදු පරියේසණ. සිව්වන මුද්‍රණය. බොරලැස්ගමුව: විසිදුනු ප්‍රකාශකයෝ.

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Ravini Nimaya Wimalasuriya

Temporary Assistant Lecturer

Department of History and Archaeology