1859.] On the Introduction of Writing into India. 140 



It is clear from the evidence which we have examined, that it is 

 far easier to prove the absence of writing during the early period 

 of Sanskrit literature, than to discover any traces of writing even 

 at the time when we are inclined to suppose that it was known in 

 India. Writing was practised in India before the time of Alexander's 

 conquest, and, though it may not have been used for literary purposes, 

 we can hardly doubt that a written alphabet was known during the 

 greater part of the Sutra-period. The Greek writers tell us exactly 

 what we should expect under these circumstances. Megastlienes 

 declared that the Indians did not know letters, that their laws 

 were not written, and that they administered justice from memory.* 

 This is perfectly true, if, as has been pointed out,f we restrict their 

 ignorance of letters to the fact that they did not employ them for 

 literary purposes. Strabo himself, when quoting the statement of 

 Nearchus that the Indians w-rote letters on cotton that had been 

 well beaten together, points out the contradiction between this 

 author and others (i. e. Megastlienes), who declared that the 

 Indians used no letters at all. J There is, however, no real contra- 

 diction between these two statements, if we only distinguish be- 

 tween the knowledge of letters and their use as a vehicle of 

 literature. Nearchus fully agrees with Megastlienes ; for he also 

 states that the laws of the Indians were not reduced to writing. § 

 And Megastlienes agrees with Nearchus ; for he also shows himself 

 perfectly acquainted with the fact that the Indians used letters for 

 inscriptions on milestones, indicating the resting-places and dis- 

 tances. || Nothing could offer a stronger confirmation of our 

 opinion that the Indians had become acquainted with the art of 

 writing during the Sutra-period and before the conquest of Alex- 



* Strabo, XV. 53. : . . . . ^Aypdcpois KaX ravra vo^lols xpcOjUepois. Oboe yap 

 ypd/x^aTa sloivai avrovS, aAA' airh jxv^fi'qs eKacrra dioiK€?(i6ai. 



f Schwanbeck, Megasthenis Fraginenta, p. 50. 



% Strabo, xv. 67. : 'EiriaToXas 5e ypucptiv Iv glBogi Kiau KeKpoT7]jj.euais y roov 

 &h\oov ypd/ifj-affLV avrovs /at) XP^^ - 1 (pajxevcav. 



§ Strabo, XV. 66. : Neapx oS <*e Trepl r&v ao<pi<TT0ov ovtoo Ae^ei* robs (xlv uo/j.ouS 

 aypdcpovs elucu. 



|| Ot ayopavofxoi . . . oSoiroiovcri, Ka\ Kara Se«a arddia GTb\\r\v TiQeaai rds 

 iKTpoir&s ital ra OLaarrj/jLara or)Aovo~as. 



