136 On tlic Introduction of Writing into India. [No. 2, 



On the Introduction of Writing into India. — By Professor 

 Max. M uller, All Souls, Oxford* 



Was the collection of the ten books of Yedic hymns the work of 

 persons cognisant of the art of writing or not ? Were the 1017 

 hymns of the Rig-veda, after they had been gathered into one body, 

 preserved by memory or on paper ? This is a question which, if it 

 cannot be fully answered, requires at least to be carefully discussed. 



We can hardly expect to find an answer to this question in the 

 hymns themselves. Most persons acquainted with the history of 

 popular poetry among the principal nations of antiquity would be 

 ready to admit that the original composition and preservation of 

 truly national poetry were everywhere due to the unaided efforts of 

 memory. Nor is there one single allusion in these hymns to any- 

 thing connected with writing. Where writing is known, it is almost 

 impossible to compose a thousand hymns without bringing in some 

 such words as, writing, reading, paper, or pen. 



Let us consider the Old Testament. 



The Ten Commandments were not only proclaimed by the 

 voice of God, but Moses " went down from the mount, and the 

 two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were 

 written on both their sides ; on the one side and on the other 

 were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the 

 writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." 

 (Exodus xxxii. 15, 16.) Here we can have no doubt that the author 

 of the Book of Exodus, and the people to whom it was addressed, 

 were acquainted with the art of writing. Again we read (Exodus 

 xxiv. 7), that " Moses took the book of the covenant, and read in 

 the audience of the people; "and (Exodus xxv. 16.), the Lord 

 commanded Moses, saving, "Thou shalt put into the ark the testi- 



[* This paper is an extract from a work now in the press on the history of 

 ancient Sanskrit literature. Professor Miiller has sent it for the Society's Journal 

 in the hope of eliciting some fresh information from European or native scholars 

 in India on the interesting questions which it discusses. — Eds.] 



