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Tamil Brahmi Inscription Belonging to 2200 Years Ago, Discovered By Proceedings of Jaffna University International Research Conference (JUICE 2014) Track: Social Science Proceedings of Jaffna University International Research Conference (JUICE 2014) Track: Social Science gLk;. ,g;gpuNjr tPjp mgptpUj;jp eltbf;iffspd; Remote Sencing and GIS, Department of Geography NghJ Fwpg;ghf tTzjPT gFjpapy; tay;epyq;fs; and Environmental.p.11-15 Tamil Brahmi Inscription Belonging to 2200 years ago, tPjpfSf;fhf cs;thq;fg;gl;Ls;sd. ,jdhy; • Mayer,W.B,1995,Past and Present Land-use and Discovered by German Archaeological Team in Southern Sri epyk; gw;wpa nghUj;jg;ghl;il Nkw;nfhz;L Land-cover in the U.S.A,consequences mjd; gpd;dh; eltbf;iffis epiwNtw;wy; • Risbsame,W.E, Mayer,W.B,and Turner, B.L, Lanka. Ntz;Lk;. 1994,Modeling Land-use and Covers as Part of Globel Environmental Change,Climate Change,Vol.08 ,g; gpuNjrj;jpd; ePh;epiyfspy; Nkyjpf Kfhikj; P.Pushparatnam • Ruben.N, Andrew.J,2008,What Drives Land-use Department of History, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna . Jt Kiwfis gpd;gw;Wjy; Ntz;Lk;. Fwpg;ghf Change in the united states? A National Analysis kz;lgj;jb> fhQ;rpuq;Flh> tTzjPT> fiuah of Landowner Desisionss, University of Wisconsin [email protected] fd;jPT Nghd;w gFjpfspy; ghtidaw;Wf; System,p.540-544 fhzg;gLk; Fsq;fis Gduikg;Gr; nra;jy; • Shashi.C, 2012, Land use Changes in India and Its Ntz;Lk;. ,jd; %yk; 13 Vf;fh; tp];jPuzk; Impect on Environment, Department oe Applied ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Chemistry and Environmental Sciences,p.15 nfhz;l Fsq;fis cUthf;ff;;$bajhf ,Ug; As a general rule, interpretations, Brahmi potsherds, gJld; ePh;g;ghrdk; nra;Ak; msitAk; NkYk; • Takashi.K, 2007, Land use Changes and Agriculture copper plates, seals and coins, among others, provide mjpfhpf;fyhk;. Growth in India. Pakistan and Bangaladesh 1901- reliable information to trace the beginning, development 2004.p.3-5 and evolution of a language of a region or country. The crhj;Jiz E}y;fs; • Zemek.F,2005,Multifunctional Land use- a Change Brahmi inscriptions play an important part in tracing the of Resettling Abandoned Landscape,Ecology 24, history of Sri Lankan languages. • Croezen,H.A,Otten,M.B.J, 2010, Indirect Land use 96-108 Change and Climate Impect, p.21-31 These Brahmi inscriptions which belong to the 3rd century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., tell about • Eludoyin,O.S,Ayolagha.G,2010,Gis Assessment of the message relevant to Buddhism. Scholars like Land use and Land cover Changes in OBIO/AKPOR ProfessorParanavithana who studied the above L.G.A Rivers Stat Nigeria, Journal of Environmental inscriptions comment that they are evidences to show and Earth Science,p.308-310 that the ancestors of the Sinhala race and their culture • Erick.J,Lindquiest,Andreas, 2012, Globel Forest came from the North India and the Prakrit language is Land-use Change 1990-2005, Food and Agriculture the forerunner of the old Sinhala language. Scholars like Organization Of The United Nations,p.3-10 ProfessorKarunaratna who studied the above inscriptions, considering the unique Tamil letters, names and words, • Fabiyi.O,2002,Geographical Information System are of the opinion that the Brahmi letters and writing Techniques and Methods Research Support which were introduced from South India were in use in Services,Ibadan Nigeria Sri Lanka, before the introduction of Brahmiletters to Sri • Franklin,S.E,2001,Remote Sencing for Sustainable Lanka with the advent of Buddhism from North India[1]. Forest Managment, Publishers,Boca Raton,FL,407 Recent Archaeological studies in South Sri Lanka • Hoghton,R.A,2004,Effects of Land-use Change on the and Northern Sri Lanka and the evidences of Brahmi Carbon Balance of Terrestrioal Ecosystem,American inscriptions and Brahmi potsherds, coins, seals and copper Geophysical Union,p.86-95 plates provide adequate evidences to show that the use of • Keiko.N,Roger.S,Bilek.E.M, 2001, Forestry Tamil language was prevalent in Sri Lanka, since the 3rd Recent Archaeological evidences reveal that the Expansion and Land-use Pattens in the Nelson century B.C. These evidences show the antiquity of the evolution of Tamil language in Sri Lanka began almost Region Newzealand,Kluwer Academic.p.723-727 Tamil language. Among these evidences, the discovery of the Brahmi inscribed pottery at Tisamarahama in at the same period as in Tamil Nāṭu. The Brahmipotsherd • Mary.t,Tahir.h,2012,Evalution of Land use/Land the Hambantota District in Southern Sri Lanka by the atTissamaharama in theHambantotaDistrictSouthern Sri cover Changes in Makelle City Ethiopia Using German Archaeological team need special mention. Lankaconfirms the fact. In south Asia, the ancient Brahmi This inscription which belongs to the 2nd century B.C. writing was in use from 3rd century B.C. The Brahmi gave was written in the Tamil language with Tamil scripts. birth to many forms of writing later. In South Asia, when However, there are differences of opinion among Prakrit was the language of inscription from 3rd century scholars about the reading and interpretation of the above B.C. to 4th century A.D., Brahmiscript was used to write inscription. The objective of this research is too re-read the Prakrit language. As an exception in Tamil Nāṭu where and scrutinizes the above inscription to derive a profound Tamil was used in the inscriptions, at the same period. As interpretation of it. such, the Brahmi inscription of Tamil Nāṭu was called University of Jaffna - 541 - Proceedings of Jaffna University International Research Conference (JUICE 2014) Track: Social Science The above pottery was discovered at Tissamaharama, as Tamil Brahmi inscriptions. Though the contemporary in Hambantota District, in Southern Sri Lanka during a Brahmi inscriptions of Sri Lanka were written in Prakrit recent joint Archaeological excavations conducted by language, it contained the influence of Tamil language, the Archaeology Department and German Archaeology with the unique characteristics of Tamil letters. Citing scholars. Along with the above pottery, many kinds of the above evidences, Professor Satmangala Karunaratna, other old potteries akin to Early Iron Age culture of Tamil Dr. Aria Abeyasinghe and Dr. P.E. Fernando opine that, Nāṭu and beads, iron tools and various other potteries with before the use of Brahmiscript from the Northern India, various markings were discovered. However, we have not the writing style of Southern India had been in use in Sri received the full analysis of the findings. Anyhow, the Lanka [1],[2],[3]. These evidences show that the Tamil “Madras Hindu” newspaper in India published a detailed language was in use in Sri Lanka before the 3rd century report of one Brahmi potsherd by an Indian scholar Mr. B.C. Evidences discovered during the excavations in Iravatham Mahadevan. Subsequently, some Indian and Sri Southern India, especially in Tamil Nāṭu andin Sri Lanka Lankan scholars studied the significance of this Brahmi reveals that Brahmi potsherds were in use among the potsherd. The researches and reports of Mr.Iravatham Early Iron Age people who lived before the 3rd century Mahadevan and Dr. P. Ragupathy are the foundation of B.C. In south Asia, though the Brahmi inscriptions were our research.[7],[8],[9],[10]. popular, Brahmipotsherds were a special feature in Tamil Nāṭu andin Sri Lanka. The Brahmipotsherds discovered at Ᾱticcanallῡr, in Tamil Nāṭu and at Anuradhapura, in Sri Lanka show that they belonged to a period before 5th century B.C., when they were subjected to modern dating[4],[5]. So, it is assumed that the Brahmi inscriptions might have been written before 200 years from the above date. Citing the above dating and the unique features of the Brahmiscript of Tamil Nāṭu, one sect of scholars opine that This inscription is found along the rim of the lid of a Brahmi writing Black and Red pottery, in five letters. Graffiti marks are originated in seen between two letters. This inscription is in Tamil, and Tamil Nāṭu and the letter “ṛ” (w) is used which has a unique characteristic spread to the of the Tamil language. Most of the scholars agree with Mr. other regions Iravatham Mahadevan that the writings on the Inscription of South Asia. belong to 200 years B.C. However, there are differences On the contrary, of opinion in reading, comprehension and interpretation Professor of the writing on the inscription, among the scholars. Mr. K.V.Raman Iravatham Mahadevan interprets the first three letters opines that from left to right as “Tiṛaḷi” (jpusp) and the next two Brahmi script letters from right to left as “Muṛi” (Kwp) and explains spread to Tamil that the word “Muṛi” (Kwp)refers to a business deal Nāṭu from Sri among Tamil traders in Southern Sri Lanka. Though, Lanka.[6]. So, Dr.P.Ragupathy agrees with IravathamMahadevan in it is considered reading the word as “Muṛi” (Kwp), but he does not agree that the Brahmi with his interpretation of the word for the following potsherd reasons. He says that it is not proper to assume that traders discovered at had written their business deal on a pottery. Further, he Tissamaharama says that the word “Muṛi” (Kwp) had been used in the will play an ancient Tamil literatures as “share” (gq;F), “Measure” important part in the research on the origin of the Tamil (msT), and “Part” (gFjp). But, the word “Muṛi” (Kwp), language and Tamil script. had been used as “agreement” and “arrangement” (Deal – Contract), for the first time since 7th century University of Jaffna - 542 - Proceedings of Jaffna University International Research Conference (JUICE 2014) Track: Social Science Proceedings of Jaffna University International Research Conference (JUICE 2014) Track: Social Science The above pottery was discovered at Tissamaharama, as Tamil Brahmi inscriptions. Though the contemporary A.D.
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