Kharosthi script (Gāndhārī: 𐨑𐨪𐨆𐨮𐨿𐨛𐨁𐨌 𐨫𐨁𐨤𐨁, romanized: kharoṣṭhī lipi), also known as the Gandhari script (𐨒𐨌𐨣𐨿𐨢𐨌𐨪𐨁𐨌 𐨫𐨁𐨤𐨁, gāndhārī lipi), was an ancient Indic script originally developed in the Gandhara Region of the north-western Indian subcontinent, between the 5th and 3rd century BCE. Primarily used by the people of Gandhara in various parts of South Asia and Central Asia, Kharosthi remained in use until it died out in its homeland around the 5th century CE. It was also in use in Bactria, the Kushan Empire, Sogdia, and along the Silk Road. There is some evidence it may have survived until the 7th century in Khotan and Niya, both cities in Tarim Basin.
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👉 Kharosthi in the context of Gandhari language
Gāndhārī was an Indo-Aryan Prakrit language found mainly in texts dated between the 3rd century BCE and 4th century CE in the region of Gandhāra, located in the northwestern Indian subcontinent. The language was heavily used by the former Buddhist cultures of Central Asia and has been found as far away as eastern China, in inscriptions at Luoyang and Anyang.
Gandhari served as an official language of the Kushan Empire and various central Asian kingdoms, including Khotan and Shanshan. It appears on coins, inscriptions and texts, notably the Gandhāran Buddhist texts. It is notable among the Prakrits for having some archaic phonology, for its relative isolation and independence, for being partially within the influence of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean and for its use of the Kharoṣṭhī script, compared to Brahmic scripts used by other Prakrits.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Kharosthi
- 👉 Kharosthi in the context of Gandhari language
- Kharosthi in the context of Kujula Kadphises
- Kharosthi in the context of Vima Kadphises
- Kharosthi in the context of Zoilus I
- Kharosthi in the context of Tocharian languages
- Kharosthi in the context of Vima Takto
- Kharosthi in the context of Kanishka III
- Kharosthi in the context of Nahapana
Kharosthi in the context of Kujula Kadphises
Kujula Kadphises (Kushan language: Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨂𐨗𐨂𐨫 𐨐𐨯, IAST: Ku-ju-la Ka-sa, Kujula Kasa; Chinese: 丘就卻; pinyin: Qiūjiùquè; r. 30–80 CE, or 40–90 CE according to Bopearachchi. 25–85 CE as per Benjamin.) was a Kushan prince who united the Yuezhi confederation in Bactria during the 1st century CE, and became the first Kushan emperor. According to the Rabatak inscription, he was the great grandfather of Kanishka I. He is considered the founder of the Kushan Empire.
Kharosthi in the context of Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises (Greek: Οοημο Καδφιϲηϲ Ooēmo Kadphisēs (epigraphic); Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨁𐨨 𐨐𐨫𐨿𐨤𐨁𐨭 Vi-ma Ka-lpi-śa, Vima Kalpiśa) was a Kushan emperor from approximately 113 to 127 CE. According to the Rabatak inscription, he was the son of Vima Takto and the father of Kanishka.
Kharosthi in the context of Zoilus I
Zoilus I Dicaeus (Ancient Greek: Ζωΐλος Δίκαιος, romanized: Zōïlos Díkaios; epithet means "the Just") was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and occupied the areas of the Paropamisade and Arachosia previously held by Menander I. He may have belonged to the dynasty of Euthydemus I.
Kharosthi in the context of Tocharian languages
The Tocharian (sometimes Tokharian) languages (US: /toʊˈkɛəriənˌ -ˈkɑːr-/ toh-KAIR-ee-ən, -KAR-; UK: /tɒˈkɑːriən/ to-KAR-ee-ən), also known as the Agni-Kuči, Agnean-Kuchean or Kuchean-Agnean languages, are an extinct branch of the Indo-European language family spoken by inhabitants of the Tarim Basin, the Tocharians. The languages are known from manuscripts dating from the 5th to the 8th century AD, which were found in oasis cities on the northern edge of the Tarim Basin (now part of Xinjiang in Northwest China) and the Lop Desert. The discovery of these languages in the early 20th century contradicted the formerly prevalent idea of an east–west division of the Indo-European language family as centum and satem languages, and prompted reinvigorated study of the Indo-European family. Scholars studying these manuscripts in the early 20th century identified their authors with the Tokharoi, a name used in ancient sources for people of Bactria (Tokharistan). Although this identification is now believed to be mistaken, "Tocharian" remains the usual term for these languages.
The discovered manuscripts record two closely related languages, called Tocharian A (also East Tocharian or Turfanian) and Tocharian B (West Tocharian or Kuchean). The subject matter of the texts suggests that Tocharian A was more archaic and used as a Buddhist liturgical language, while Tocharian B was more actively spoken in the entire area from Turfan in the east to Tumshuq in the west. A body of loanwords and names found in Prakrit documents from the Lop Nur basin have been dubbed Tocharian C (Kroränian). A claimed find of ten Tocharian C texts written in Kharosthi has been discredited.
Kharosthi in the context of Vima Takto
Vima Takto or Vima Taktu (Greco-Bactrian: Οοημο Τακτοο, Oēmo Taktoo; Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨅𐨨 𐨟𐨑𐨆 Ve-ma Ta-kho, Vema Takho) was a Kushan emperor who reigned c. 80–90 CE.
Kharosthi in the context of Kanishka III
Samrat Kanishka III (Greco-Bactrian: ΚΑΝΗϷΚΕ Kanēške; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐 Ka-ṇi-ṣka, Kaṇiṣka; Brahmi: 
Kā-ṇi-ṣka, Kāṇiṣka; Sanskrit: कनिष्क), was a Kushan emperor who reigned from around the year 265 CE to 270 CE. He is believed to have succeeded Vasishka and was succeeded by Vasudeva II. He ruled in areas of Northwestern India.
Kharosthi in the context of Nahapana
Nahapana (Ancient Greek: Ναηαπάνα Nahapána; Kharosthi: 𐨣𐨱𐨤𐨣 Na-ha-pa-na, Nahapana; Brahmi: 
Na-ha-pā-na, Nahapāna;), was a member of Kshaharata dynasty in northwestern India, who ruled during the 1st or 2nd century CE. According to one of his coins, he was the son of Bhumaka.