Archive · 10 Aug 2025
Scripts of Power: Writing, Language, and History in India
Imagine learning about how people in India used different writing styles, like Modi, a bit like learning cursive today.
A new book called 'Scripts of Power' dives into this.
It explains how Modi helped people write quickly, and how it fit with different languages and cultures.
It shows how writing was linked to power and how it changed over time, including how the British viewed the script, and how it influenced different social groups.
The book helps us understand how language and writing were a big part of India's story, shaping how people lived and thought.
The book 'Scripts of Power' examines the history of writing, language, and culture in Western India, focusing on the Modi script.
Modi script, used for business and administrative purposes, offered insights into India's multilingual and multiscript history.
The book discusses the role of writing in Brahman identity and the evolution of Marathi literature.
The colonial period saw changes in the perception of Modi, with Devanagari becoming more favored.
The study explores the long-term impact of script choices on language, community, and social hierarchy.
- Who
- The book is written by Prachi Deshpande and examines the work of scribes, Brahman elites, and various communities within Western India.
- What
- The book 'Scripts of Power' examines the cultural history of writing and language practices, specifically focusing on the Modi script in Western India.
- When
- The book covers the period from Elizabethan England to contemporary times, with a primary focus on early modern India.
- Where
- Western India, particularly Maharashtra.
- Why
- To understand the relationship between writing, language, power, and cultural identity in the context of India's history.
Traditionalists
Modernizers
Marathi Language and Sanskrit
Traditionalists
Emphasis on Sanskrit's purity and timelessness.
Modernizers
Valuation of Modi script for its practicality and association with business and administration.
Language Purification
Traditionalists
Advocated for cleansing Marathi of Perso-Arabic words.
Modernizers
Acknowledged the role of language in the development of a shared identity among communities.
- Book Title
- Scripts of Power: Writing, Language Practices, and Cultural History in Western India
- Author
- Prachi Deshpande
- Script Focused On
- Modi
- Geographic Focus
- Western India
- Key Theme
- The materiality of scribal labour