Silent Witness to History

Epigraphic studies need special training and interpretative skills. Appasamy Murugaiyan, the editor of the present collection of essays, reiterates this by hailing the Indian epigraphic tradition and the contributions of the pioneers to South Indian epigraphy. In his introduction he sets out the range of topics covered, organizing the essays under different thematic heads. Each contributor to this volume is claimed to be engaged in a unique dialogue with the text, drawing particular attention to the ‘Whisperings of inscriptions’ (after N. Karashima) and the ‘Space of Silence’ (after Franco Ruffini) in inscriptions as also its limitations. The essays try to relate the socio-cultural contexts and adopt a multidisciplinary approach for a correct reading and interpretation of the texts. However, the relevance of some essays to this volume is doubtful as shown below.