Epigraphical Studies in India – Sanskrit and Dravidian

Prominent Epigraphists

1. J.F. FLEET: (1847-1917) John Faithful Fleet was an outstanding Western epigraphist who made significant contributions to Indian epigraphy. His monumental work Dynasties of Kanarese Districts is a masterly account of the ruling dynasties of ancient Karnataka. His important work is the Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III comprising the critical edition of the inscriptions of the Early Gupta rulers – for which he was appointed to the newly created post of Epigraphist to Government of India. Besides, he has contributed several research articles to the Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Indian Antiquary, Epigraphia Indica, etc.
2. HULTZSCH (1857-1927) Euger Julius Theodor Hultzsch was a German Indologist. He joined the Archaeological Survey of India as an Epigraphist in 1886 when the Epigraphy Branch was organized. Later on he became Government Epigraphist and held the post till 1903. He copied a large number of inscriptions from the temples and other places in south India and published them in the Annual Reports on South Indian Epigraphy. He began the series of South Indian Inscriptions volumes. He edited Epigraphia Indica volumes III to VIII and part of Vol. IX. His important contribution is the revision of the Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol. I containing the inscriptions of Asoka which was edited by Cunningham.
3. K.V. SUBRAHMANYA AIYAR (1875-1969) – Kanthadai Vaidya Subrahmanya Aiyer was an eminent Tamil epigraphist. He joined the Epigraphy Office in 1906 and served there till 1932. He edited South Indian Inscriptions Volumes VI, VII and VIII and wrote several scholarly articles for Epigraphia Indica. He was a pioneer in the study of the Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu. Besides, he edited Travancore Archaeological Series, Volumes II, III and IV and published a scholarly work entitled Historical Sketches of Ancient Dekhan in three volumes.
4. Dr. B.CH. CHHABRA : Dr. B.Ch. Chhabra, a great Sanskrit scholar, served as Government Epigraphist from 1935 – 1953. He edited Epigraphia Indica volumes XXVII to XXIX and XXXII. He was also the Joint Editor of the revised Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol. III. Besides he has authored Expansion of Indo-Aryan Culture during Pallava rule, Facets of Aryan Culture and other books.
5. Dr D.C. SIRCAR (1907 – 1983) : Dr. Dinesh Chandra Sircar served as a Government Epigraphist from 1955 to 1961. He was an erudite scholar and prolific writer. He has authored more than forty books both in English and Bengali. The Successors of the Satavahanas in the Eastern Deccan, Select inscriptions bearing on Indian History and civilization, Vol. I and II, Studies in the geography of Ancient and Medieval India, Indian Epigraphy and Indian Epigraphical Glossary are some of them. He has edited Epigraphia Indica volumes XXVIII to XXXVI. Three of them jointly and others independently.
6. Dr. G.S. GAI : Dr. Govind Svamirao Gai was a learned Kannada Epigraphist and linguist. He joined the Epigraphy branch in 1943 and rose to the position of Chief Epigraphist in 1962 and retired from government service in 1976. Dr. Gai wrote more than a hundred research papers on Epigraphy, History and Culture, Linguistics and Archaeology. He edited South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. XX and Epigraphia Indica vols. XXXV to XXXVIII. He was also the joint editor of the revised Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III.
7. Shri P.R. SRINIVASAN : Shri P.R. Srinivasan was the Chief Epigraphist from 1976-78. He is a great Art historian and well-versed in temple architecture. He has edited South Indian Inscriptions Vol. XXVI and Epigraphia Indica Vol. XXXIX.
8. Shri K.G. KRISHNAN: Kodaganallur Ganapati Krishnan held the post of Chief Epigraphist from 1978-81. He has edited South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. XVII and Epigraphia Indica Vol. XL. He has also brought out a monograph entitled Karandai plates of Rajendra Chola I.
9. Dr.K.V.RAMESH : Dr K.V. Ramesh joined the Epigraphy Branch in the year 1956. He became Chief Epigraphist in 1981 and Director (Epigraphy) in 1984 and Joint Director General in 1992 from which post he retired in 1993. Inscriptions of the Western Gangas, Chalukyas of Vatapi, Tulunadu Sasanagalu and Indian Epigraphy, are his important works. He has edited Epigraphia Indica Vols. XLI and XLII.
10. Shri MADHAV N.KATTI : Shri Madhav N.Katti joined the Epigraphy Office in 1964 and retired as Director (Epigraphy) in 1997. He has edited part of Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XL.
11. Dr. M.D.SAMPATH : Dr M.D. Sampath joined the Epigraphy Branch as a Deputy Superintending Epigraphist in the year 1976. He became Chief Epigraphist in 1999 and later Director (Epigraphy) and retired in 2001. He is the joint editor of South Indian Inscriptions Vol. XXVII.