1

Artha samgraha (wealth creation) of Rāṣṭram Nation of

Bhāratam recorded on Sindhu-Sarasvati Script

inscriptions

The objective of this illustrated essay is to provide an Itihāsa narrative of Bhāratam Janam

(lsquometalcaster folkrsquo RV 35312) of the Bronze Age

The essay provides

1 an overview of how Bhāratam became the richest nation on the globe by 1 CE as recorded by

Economic historian Angus Maddison in his report to OECD before the formation of the

European Union and

2 an intimation of the roles of Bhāratam Janam as artificers and seafaring merchants managing

metalwork production and trade along an Ancient Maritime Tin Route between Hanoi (Vietnam)

and Haifa (Israel) which route predated Silk Road by two millennia

A defining moment is recorded in an exquisite painting in the Steel Authority of India Institute in

Ranchi The painting shows Purushottama gifting in 323 BCE a steel sword to Alexander on the

banks of Jhelum before Alexander returns to Mesopotamia In the background of this painting a

smithyforge is shown with artisans at work in smithyforge producing metal tools implements

and weapons

This is a signature portrait of the Hindu civilization indicating contributions made by ancient

artisans to the Artha samgraha (wealth creation) of the Nation of Bhāratam

2

Similar contributions made by artisans during earlier millennia are documented on over 8000

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions are metalwork catalogues which are data archives of

contributions made by ancient metalworkers to creation of wealth (Artha samgraha) of the

nation The contributions are so impressive that an economic historian Angus Maddison reports

to OECD before the announcement of European Union the contributions made by Ancient India

(Ancient Bhāratam) to Global wealth in 1 Common Era

This bar chart showing contributions to Global wealth between 1 CE and 2008 CE records that

India (Ancient Bhāratam) accounted for over 32 of the Global wealth (GDP Gross Domestic

Product)

How is this Artha samgraha status of Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam) in 1 CE explained

For several millennia in earlier years Ancient Indian (Bhāratiya) artisans had domesticated rice

millet and also cotton They had also worked with mineral resources to create many metal alloys

to manufacture tools implements weapons Such work or life activities of artisans are recorded

in historical studies and on Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions

3

4

Invention of Sindhu-Sarasvati Script as a writing system occurred ca 3300 BCE as evidenced by

a potsherd discovered in Harappa with three hypertexts or hieroglyphs

The picture-writing is logo-semantic that is words which signify pictures are substitutes for

similar-sounding words which signify metalwork In this picture kolom lsquothreersquo kolmo lsquorice

plantrsquo signify a similar-sounding word kolami lsquosmithyforgersquo Such a substitution system is

5

referred to as mlecchita vikalpa by Vātsyāyana in Vidyāsamuddeśa mlecchita vikalpa is an

expression which means lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo ie writing system by mleccha copper workers and

Meluhha language speakers Meluhha is derived from mliṣṭa lsquomispronunciationrsquo of word in

common parlance or speech-forms of the times

The evidence for Meluhha as a distinct speech-form is provided by a cylinder seal which

contains a cuneiform text inscription in Akkadian

The cuneiform text reads in Akkadian Shu-Ilishu EMEBALMELUHHAKI (ie interpreter

of Meluhha language) Shu-Ilishu is seated on the lap of the seated person The person carrying a

goat is a Meluhha speaker The signifier the animal carried by Meluhha speaker is

mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper

(worker) The lady accompanying Meluhhaa speaker carries a liquid measure ranku lsquoliquid

measurersquo signifies a similar-sounding word ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus together the Meluhha are

seafaring merchants who are workers in copper and tin minerals and who have come from

Meluhha (Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam)) to Mesopotamia to trade in copper and tin

Importance of tin is well-recognized as the major contributing ore to create the Bronze Age

Revolution Copper is malleable and becomes a hard alloy of bronze when alloyed with tin

(cassiterite) This discovery of the alloy resolved a major problem created by the scarcity of

naturally occurring Arsenical Bronzes Where did the ancient tin come from

The mystery is resolved by the discovery of over 200 DongsonKaren Bronze Drums with

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions on the tympanums of the drums The largest tin belt of the

globe is in the Mekong Irrawaddy Salween ndash Himalayan river valleys of the Ancient Far East

These Himalayan rivers ground down for millennia granite rocks and created placer deposits of

cassiterite tin ore in the Ancient Far East region The tin miners and workers in crearing Tin

Bronze artifacts of DongsonKaren Bronze Drums are Meluhha speakers as evidenced by the

hieroglyphs signified on the tympanums of the drums The hieroglyphs in Meluhha speech

signify elephant peacock crane frog which in mlecchita vikalpa lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo are

pronounced arka lsquosunrsquo karba ibha lsquoelephantrsquo maraka lsquopeacockrsquo kanku lsquocranersquo mūxā lsquofrogrsquo

These hieroglyphs signify metalwork catalogues of eraka lsquomolten cast copperrsquo karba ib lsquoironrsquo

ibbo lsquomerchantrsquo marakaka loha lsquocalcining copper metalrsquo kang lsquoportable brazierrsquo muhatilde lsquometal

6

ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a furnacersquo

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

2

Similar contributions made by artisans during earlier millennia are documented on over 8000

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions are metalwork catalogues which are data archives of

contributions made by ancient metalworkers to creation of wealth (Artha samgraha) of the

nation The contributions are so impressive that an economic historian Angus Maddison reports

to OECD before the announcement of European Union the contributions made by Ancient India

(Ancient Bhāratam) to Global wealth in 1 Common Era

This bar chart showing contributions to Global wealth between 1 CE and 2008 CE records that

India (Ancient Bhāratam) accounted for over 32 of the Global wealth (GDP Gross Domestic

Product)

How is this Artha samgraha status of Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam) in 1 CE explained

For several millennia in earlier years Ancient Indian (Bhāratiya) artisans had domesticated rice

millet and also cotton They had also worked with mineral resources to create many metal alloys

to manufacture tools implements weapons Such work or life activities of artisans are recorded

in historical studies and on Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions

3

4

Invention of Sindhu-Sarasvati Script as a writing system occurred ca 3300 BCE as evidenced by

a potsherd discovered in Harappa with three hypertexts or hieroglyphs

The picture-writing is logo-semantic that is words which signify pictures are substitutes for

similar-sounding words which signify metalwork In this picture kolom lsquothreersquo kolmo lsquorice

plantrsquo signify a similar-sounding word kolami lsquosmithyforgersquo Such a substitution system is

5

referred to as mlecchita vikalpa by Vātsyāyana in Vidyāsamuddeśa mlecchita vikalpa is an

expression which means lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo ie writing system by mleccha copper workers and

Meluhha language speakers Meluhha is derived from mliṣṭa lsquomispronunciationrsquo of word in

common parlance or speech-forms of the times

The evidence for Meluhha as a distinct speech-form is provided by a cylinder seal which

contains a cuneiform text inscription in Akkadian

The cuneiform text reads in Akkadian Shu-Ilishu EMEBALMELUHHAKI (ie interpreter

of Meluhha language) Shu-Ilishu is seated on the lap of the seated person The person carrying a

goat is a Meluhha speaker The signifier the animal carried by Meluhha speaker is

mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper

(worker) The lady accompanying Meluhhaa speaker carries a liquid measure ranku lsquoliquid

measurersquo signifies a similar-sounding word ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus together the Meluhha are

seafaring merchants who are workers in copper and tin minerals and who have come from

Meluhha (Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam)) to Mesopotamia to trade in copper and tin

Importance of tin is well-recognized as the major contributing ore to create the Bronze Age

Revolution Copper is malleable and becomes a hard alloy of bronze when alloyed with tin

(cassiterite) This discovery of the alloy resolved a major problem created by the scarcity of

naturally occurring Arsenical Bronzes Where did the ancient tin come from

The mystery is resolved by the discovery of over 200 DongsonKaren Bronze Drums with

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions on the tympanums of the drums The largest tin belt of the

globe is in the Mekong Irrawaddy Salween ndash Himalayan river valleys of the Ancient Far East

These Himalayan rivers ground down for millennia granite rocks and created placer deposits of

cassiterite tin ore in the Ancient Far East region The tin miners and workers in crearing Tin

Bronze artifacts of DongsonKaren Bronze Drums are Meluhha speakers as evidenced by the

hieroglyphs signified on the tympanums of the drums The hieroglyphs in Meluhha speech

signify elephant peacock crane frog which in mlecchita vikalpa lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo are

pronounced arka lsquosunrsquo karba ibha lsquoelephantrsquo maraka lsquopeacockrsquo kanku lsquocranersquo mūxā lsquofrogrsquo

These hieroglyphs signify metalwork catalogues of eraka lsquomolten cast copperrsquo karba ib lsquoironrsquo

ibbo lsquomerchantrsquo marakaka loha lsquocalcining copper metalrsquo kang lsquoportable brazierrsquo muhatilde lsquometal

6

ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a furnacersquo

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

3

4

Invention of Sindhu-Sarasvati Script as a writing system occurred ca 3300 BCE as evidenced by

a potsherd discovered in Harappa with three hypertexts or hieroglyphs

The picture-writing is logo-semantic that is words which signify pictures are substitutes for

similar-sounding words which signify metalwork In this picture kolom lsquothreersquo kolmo lsquorice

plantrsquo signify a similar-sounding word kolami lsquosmithyforgersquo Such a substitution system is

5

referred to as mlecchita vikalpa by Vātsyāyana in Vidyāsamuddeśa mlecchita vikalpa is an

expression which means lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo ie writing system by mleccha copper workers and

Meluhha language speakers Meluhha is derived from mliṣṭa lsquomispronunciationrsquo of word in

common parlance or speech-forms of the times

The evidence for Meluhha as a distinct speech-form is provided by a cylinder seal which

contains a cuneiform text inscription in Akkadian

The cuneiform text reads in Akkadian Shu-Ilishu EMEBALMELUHHAKI (ie interpreter

of Meluhha language) Shu-Ilishu is seated on the lap of the seated person The person carrying a

goat is a Meluhha speaker The signifier the animal carried by Meluhha speaker is

mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper

(worker) The lady accompanying Meluhhaa speaker carries a liquid measure ranku lsquoliquid

measurersquo signifies a similar-sounding word ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus together the Meluhha are

seafaring merchants who are workers in copper and tin minerals and who have come from

Meluhha (Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam)) to Mesopotamia to trade in copper and tin

Importance of tin is well-recognized as the major contributing ore to create the Bronze Age

Revolution Copper is malleable and becomes a hard alloy of bronze when alloyed with tin

(cassiterite) This discovery of the alloy resolved a major problem created by the scarcity of

naturally occurring Arsenical Bronzes Where did the ancient tin come from

The mystery is resolved by the discovery of over 200 DongsonKaren Bronze Drums with

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions on the tympanums of the drums The largest tin belt of the

globe is in the Mekong Irrawaddy Salween ndash Himalayan river valleys of the Ancient Far East

These Himalayan rivers ground down for millennia granite rocks and created placer deposits of

cassiterite tin ore in the Ancient Far East region The tin miners and workers in crearing Tin

Bronze artifacts of DongsonKaren Bronze Drums are Meluhha speakers as evidenced by the

hieroglyphs signified on the tympanums of the drums The hieroglyphs in Meluhha speech

signify elephant peacock crane frog which in mlecchita vikalpa lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo are

pronounced arka lsquosunrsquo karba ibha lsquoelephantrsquo maraka lsquopeacockrsquo kanku lsquocranersquo mūxā lsquofrogrsquo

These hieroglyphs signify metalwork catalogues of eraka lsquomolten cast copperrsquo karba ib lsquoironrsquo

ibbo lsquomerchantrsquo marakaka loha lsquocalcining copper metalrsquo kang lsquoportable brazierrsquo muhatilde lsquometal

6

ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a furnacersquo

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

4

Invention of Sindhu-Sarasvati Script as a writing system occurred ca 3300 BCE as evidenced by

a potsherd discovered in Harappa with three hypertexts or hieroglyphs

The picture-writing is logo-semantic that is words which signify pictures are substitutes for

similar-sounding words which signify metalwork In this picture kolom lsquothreersquo kolmo lsquorice

plantrsquo signify a similar-sounding word kolami lsquosmithyforgersquo Such a substitution system is

5

referred to as mlecchita vikalpa by Vātsyāyana in Vidyāsamuddeśa mlecchita vikalpa is an

expression which means lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo ie writing system by mleccha copper workers and

Meluhha language speakers Meluhha is derived from mliṣṭa lsquomispronunciationrsquo of word in

common parlance or speech-forms of the times

The evidence for Meluhha as a distinct speech-form is provided by a cylinder seal which

contains a cuneiform text inscription in Akkadian

The cuneiform text reads in Akkadian Shu-Ilishu EMEBALMELUHHAKI (ie interpreter

of Meluhha language) Shu-Ilishu is seated on the lap of the seated person The person carrying a

goat is a Meluhha speaker The signifier the animal carried by Meluhha speaker is

mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper

(worker) The lady accompanying Meluhhaa speaker carries a liquid measure ranku lsquoliquid

measurersquo signifies a similar-sounding word ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus together the Meluhha are

seafaring merchants who are workers in copper and tin minerals and who have come from

Meluhha (Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam)) to Mesopotamia to trade in copper and tin

Importance of tin is well-recognized as the major contributing ore to create the Bronze Age

Revolution Copper is malleable and becomes a hard alloy of bronze when alloyed with tin

(cassiterite) This discovery of the alloy resolved a major problem created by the scarcity of

naturally occurring Arsenical Bronzes Where did the ancient tin come from

The mystery is resolved by the discovery of over 200 DongsonKaren Bronze Drums with

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions on the tympanums of the drums The largest tin belt of the

globe is in the Mekong Irrawaddy Salween ndash Himalayan river valleys of the Ancient Far East

These Himalayan rivers ground down for millennia granite rocks and created placer deposits of

cassiterite tin ore in the Ancient Far East region The tin miners and workers in crearing Tin

Bronze artifacts of DongsonKaren Bronze Drums are Meluhha speakers as evidenced by the

hieroglyphs signified on the tympanums of the drums The hieroglyphs in Meluhha speech

signify elephant peacock crane frog which in mlecchita vikalpa lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo are

pronounced arka lsquosunrsquo karba ibha lsquoelephantrsquo maraka lsquopeacockrsquo kanku lsquocranersquo mūxā lsquofrogrsquo

These hieroglyphs signify metalwork catalogues of eraka lsquomolten cast copperrsquo karba ib lsquoironrsquo

ibbo lsquomerchantrsquo marakaka loha lsquocalcining copper metalrsquo kang lsquoportable brazierrsquo muhatilde lsquometal

6

ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a furnacersquo

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

5

referred to as mlecchita vikalpa by Vātsyāyana in Vidyāsamuddeśa mlecchita vikalpa is an

expression which means lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo ie writing system by mleccha copper workers and

Meluhha language speakers Meluhha is derived from mliṣṭa lsquomispronunciationrsquo of word in

common parlance or speech-forms of the times

The evidence for Meluhha as a distinct speech-form is provided by a cylinder seal which

contains a cuneiform text inscription in Akkadian

The cuneiform text reads in Akkadian Shu-Ilishu EMEBALMELUHHAKI (ie interpreter

of Meluhha language) Shu-Ilishu is seated on the lap of the seated person The person carrying a

goat is a Meluhha speaker The signifier the animal carried by Meluhha speaker is

mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper

(worker) The lady accompanying Meluhhaa speaker carries a liquid measure ranku lsquoliquid

measurersquo signifies a similar-sounding word ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus together the Meluhha are

seafaring merchants who are workers in copper and tin minerals and who have come from

Meluhha (Ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam)) to Mesopotamia to trade in copper and tin

Importance of tin is well-recognized as the major contributing ore to create the Bronze Age

Revolution Copper is malleable and becomes a hard alloy of bronze when alloyed with tin

(cassiterite) This discovery of the alloy resolved a major problem created by the scarcity of

naturally occurring Arsenical Bronzes Where did the ancient tin come from

The mystery is resolved by the discovery of over 200 DongsonKaren Bronze Drums with

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script inscriptions on the tympanums of the drums The largest tin belt of the

globe is in the Mekong Irrawaddy Salween ndash Himalayan river valleys of the Ancient Far East

These Himalayan rivers ground down for millennia granite rocks and created placer deposits of

cassiterite tin ore in the Ancient Far East region The tin miners and workers in crearing Tin

Bronze artifacts of DongsonKaren Bronze Drums are Meluhha speakers as evidenced by the

hieroglyphs signified on the tympanums of the drums The hieroglyphs in Meluhha speech

signify elephant peacock crane frog which in mlecchita vikalpa lsquoMeluhha cipherrsquo are

pronounced arka lsquosunrsquo karba ibha lsquoelephantrsquo maraka lsquopeacockrsquo kanku lsquocranersquo mūxā lsquofrogrsquo

These hieroglyphs signify metalwork catalogues of eraka lsquomolten cast copperrsquo karba ib lsquoironrsquo

ibbo lsquomerchantrsquo marakaka loha lsquocalcining copper metalrsquo kang lsquoportable brazierrsquo muhatilde lsquometal

6

ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a furnacersquo

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

6

ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a furnacersquo

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

7

That Meluhha speakers and seafaring merchants of Bhāratam were involved as intermediaries in

the Ancient Maritime Tin Route from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Haifa (Israel) is evidenced by two

facts 1 The use of Mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on tin ingots of Cyprus and 2 The

presence of Meluhha hieroglyphs on 99purity tin ingots discovered in shipwrecks at Haifa

(Israel)

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

8

The four Meluhha hypertexts and readings in similar sounding words on these tin ingots are

1 ranku lsquoliquid measurersquo rebus (which means lsquosimilar sounding word or homonym) ranku

lsquotinrsquo

2 ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo

3 mũhe lsquofacersquo rebus muhatilde lsquometal ingot quantity of metal produced at one time out of a

furnacersquo

4 X hieroglyph dāṭu = cross (Telugu) rebus dhatu = mineral ore (Santali) Rebus dhāṭnā lsquoto send

out pour out cast (metal)rsquo (Hindi)(CDIAL 6771)

That seafaring merchants are involved in the trade transactions along the Ancient Maritime Tin

Route (which predated the Silk Road by 2 millennia) is evidenced by the most freuqnently used

hieroglyph which is lsquorim of a narrow-necked jarrsquo

Hieroglyph on Daimabad seal karṇaka lsquorim of jarrsquo rebus karṇika

lsquosupercargo merchantrsquos representative responsible for the cargo scribersquo kāraṇī or kāraṇīka

lsquohelmsman or captain of a seafaring vesselrsquo

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

9

Minerals metals and alloys of metals involved in the maritime trade are signified by Meluhha

hieroglyphs and the cognate rebus renderings as metalwork catalogues

This cylinder seal from

Mesopotamia shows six hieroglyphs kuṭhi lsquotreersquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol

lsquoworking in ironrsquo kolhe lsquosmelter blacksmithrsquo poḷadu lsquoblack drongo birdrsquo rebus poḷa

lsquomagnetite ferrite orersquo poḷad lsquosteelrsquo mrēka mēḻẖ goat which signifies a similar sounding word

lsquoMeluhha mleccharsquo ndash copper (worker) The building hieroglyph kolel lsquosmithy forgersquo rebus

kolel lsquotemplersquo kaṇḍa lsquowaterrsquo rebus (lo)khāṇḍā lsquometal implementsrsquo

Meluhha word sangara lsquotradersquo is signified by two hieroglyphs 1 sangaḍa lsquolathe-cum-portable

furnacersquo 2 sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

10

This turbinella pyrum śankha seal of Dwaraka is an example of the expression sāṅgaḍa f A

body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked or joined together

Three animal heads are joined to a bovine body

The combined hieroglyphs are barad balad lsquooxrsquo rebus bharat lsquoalloy of pewter copper tinrsquo

क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ

(Hindi) To dig 2 To engrave ranku lsquoantelopersquo rebus ranku lsquotinrsquo Thus the deciphered

expression is lsquotrade in alloy of pewter tin and engraved (metalwork)rsquo

ldquoThe accumulation of evidence of early cotton in Pakistani Balochistan (Mehrgarh Shahi Tump)

and in the Indus Valley seems to confirm the hypothesis of a South Asian origin probably in the

later Indus area of one of the Old World Cottonsrdquo (Moulherat Christophe 2002 First evidence

of cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh Pakistan analysis of Mineralized fibres from a copper bead in

Journal of Archaeological Science 2002 29 1393-1401) The date of domestication could go as

far back as 6th millennium BCE

There is evidence of spinning of cotton in an exquisite scultural frieze of Louvre Museum (13th

cent BCE) from Susa in mlecchita vikalpa to signify the metalwork competence and repertoire

of a wheelwright

Santali lt karpāsa lsquocottonrsquo (Samskrtam)

khāti lsquospinnerrsquo rebus khāti lsquowheelwrightrsquo PLUS ayo lsquofishrsquo rebus ayas lsquoalloy metalrsquo (Rgveda)

Hypertext of tigerrsquos paws as legs kuṭhe rsquoleg of bedstead or chairrsquo rebus kuṭhi lsquosmelterrsquo PLUS

kola lsquotigerrsquo rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo Thus iron smelter

11

kulā ʻwinnowing fan ʼ(Oriya) rebus kol lsquoworking in ironrsquo

baṭa lsquosixrsquo rebus bhaṭa lsquofurnacersquo PLUS goṭa lsquoround pebblersquo rebus goṭa lsquolaterite ferrite orersquo

The Meluhha hieroglyph lo lsquoficus glomeratarsquo signifies rebus loh lsquocopperrsquo This is demonstrated

in the decipherment of inscription on Mohenjodaro Seal m0296 discussed in the following

section

sangara trade from metal engravers workshop three hypertexts of Sindhu-Sarasvati

Script Corpora

Hieroglyph saṅghara chain link is used in a Meluhha ciphertext in mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha

cipher) read as plain-hyper-text cataloguing trade from metal engravers workshop

The pinnacle of metallurgical achievement is recorded in the competence to engrave on metal as

on cire perdue tympanums of Dongson or Karen bronze drums or bronze statuettes of dancing

girls of Mohenjo-daro The signifier for an engraver is a one-horned young bull क ोद

kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner (Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ v c amp i (

H) To dig 2 To engrave

This extraordinary competence of the Bronze Age is celebrated in a Sumer procession recorded

on a Mari wall painting

12

Standard of Mari Panel ca 2500 BCE

13

In the centre is a person carrying a culm of

millet as a flagpost carrying a one-horned young bull atop rein-rings

That the flagpost carried is a meluhha hypertext of hieroglyphs (ciphertext) is clear from the fact

that the flagpost is NOT a solid metal rod or wooden post but a culm of millet The readings in

Meluhha are karb culm of millet rebus karba iron PLUS क ोद kōnda young

bull rebus ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ v c amp i ( H) To engrave Thus a metals engraver is

signified PLUS valga bag ḍora bridle (rein ring) rebus bagala seafaring dhow Thus a metals

engraver is a seafaring merchant Alternatiively the rein-ring may be read as saṅghara chain

link rebus sangara trade

The three hypertexts deciphered and presented in this monograph are Dholkal Gaṇeśa 2 Seal

m0296 and 3 Mari procession The monograph demonstrates that the hypertexts signify metals

trade catalogues

13

In the centre is a person carrying a culm of

millet as a flagpost carrying a one-horned young bull atop rein-rings

That the flagpost carried is a meluhha hypertext of hieroglyphs (ciphertext) is clear from the fact

that the flagpost is NOT a solid metal rod or wooden post but a culm of millet The readings in

Meluhha are karb culm of millet rebus karba iron PLUS क ोद kōnda young

bull rebus ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ v c amp i ( H) To engrave Thus a metals engraver is

signified PLUS valga bag ḍora bridle (rein ring) rebus bagala seafaring dhow Thus a metals

engraver is a seafaring merchant Alternatiively the rein-ring may be read as saṅghara chain

link rebus sangara trade

The three hypertexts deciphered and presented in this monograph are Dholkal Gaṇeśa 2 Seal

m0296 and 3 Mari procession The monograph demonstrates that the hypertexts signify metals

trade catalogues

14

See httptinyurlcomjmvqrtt Sindhu-Sarasvati Script hieroglyphs on Bastar Gaṇeśa sculpture

and on a Mohenjo-daro seal signify adamantine glue metal calcine

Links of a metal chain (Dholkal Gaṇeśa)

Link of a chain (Seal m0296)

I suggest that the Meluhha word to signify the chain link is the Sindhi phonetic

fom saṅghara signifies a chain hieroglyph rebus sangara trade

What were the items being traded as signified on hypertexts of 1 Dholkal Gaṇeśa

and 2 Seal m0296

1 Dholkal Gaṇeśa signifies karabha ibha elephant rebus karba ib iron ibbo merchant hence

the items traded related to working in iron Gaṇeśa carries a pine-cone hieroglyph kaṇḍe pine-

cone signified rebus khaṇḍa (metal) tools Thus the hypertext signifies trade in iron metal

tools karba khaṇḍa sangara

2 Seal m0296 signifies loa ficus glomerata lo no nine (semantic determinant) rebus loh

copper PLUS the text of the inscription signify trade in copper mintwork smithy bronze

metal alloy metalcastings and metal tools The semantics of trade are signified by the standard

device (which is saghāṛɔ a lathe the phonetic determinant is the combined parts of two

heads स ोगड (p 495) sāṅgaḍa f A body formed of two or more (fruits animals men) linked

or joined together

15

This word is combined with other hieroglyphs read rebus to create the hypertext expression of

categories of trade in metalwork

I suggest that hypertext including a chain link is read rebus thus in Meluhha derived from a

variety of phonetic forms of the word in Bhāratiya sprachbund evidenced below

Sankhalā (f) [cp Sk śṛnkhalā] a chain Th 2 509 aṭṭhi˚ a chain of bones skeleton A iii97

As ˚kankalā at Th 2 488

Sankhalikā (f) [fr sankhalā] a chain S i76 J iii168 vi3 Nd2 304iii Miln 149 279

DhA iv54 PvA 152 Sometimes sankhalika (esp in composition) e g J iii125

(˚bandhana) vi3 Miln 279 -- aṭṭhi˚ a chain of bones a skeleton [cp BSk asthi -- sankhalikā

MVastu i21] D ii296=M i58 Vin iii105 J i433 Pv ii1211 DhA iii479 -- deva˚ a magic

chain J ii128 v92

शङखल [p= 10871] m n (derivation doubtful) a chain fetter (esp for confining the feet of an

elephant) Ragh Pur a measuring chain śrṅkhala mn ʻ chain ʼ MārkP deglā -- f

VarBrS śrṅkhalaka -- m ʻ chain ʼ MW ʻ chained camel ʼ Pāṇ [Similar ending in mḗkhalā -- ]

Pa saṅkhalā -- deglikā -- f ʻ chain ʼ Pk saṁkala -- mn deglā -- deglī -- degliā -- saṁkhalā --

siṁkhdeg siṁkalā -- f ʻ chain ʼ siṁkhala -- n ʻ anklet ʼ Sh šăṅāli f (Lor) šlṅāli šiṅdeg ʻ chain ʼ

(lw with š -- lt śr -- ) K ho kal f S saṅgharu m ʻ bell round animals neck ʼ degra f ʻ chain

necklace ʼ saṅghāra f ʻ chain string of beads ʼ saṅghirī f ʻ necklace with double row of beads

ʼ L saṅglī f ʻ flock of bustard ʼ awāṇ saṅgul ʻ chain ʼ P saṅgal m ʻ chain ʼ ludh suṅgal m

WPahbhal śaṅgul m ʻ chain with which a soothsayer strikes himself ʼ śaṅgli f ʻ chain

ʼ śiṅkhal f ʻ railing round a cow -- stall ʼ (Joshi) śatildegaḷ ʻ door -- chain ʼ jaun śatildegal śatildegaḍ ʻ

chain ʼ Ku satildeglo ʻ doorchain ʼ gng śāṅaw ʻ chain ʼ N sāṅlo ʻ chain ʼ degli ʻ small do ʼ

A xikali OB siṅkala B sikal sikli chikal chikli (Chittagong) hĩol ODBL 454

Or sāṅk(h)uḷā degḷi sāṅkoḷi sikaḷa degḷi sikuḷā degḷi Bi sīkaṛ ʻ chains for pulling harrow ʼ

Mth sī˜kaṛ Bhoj sī˜kar sĩkarī ʻ chain ʼ OH sāṁkaḍa sīkaḍa m

H satildekal satildekar degkrī saṅkal degklī sikal sīkar degkrī f OG sāṁkalu n G satildekaḷ degkḷī f ʻ chain

ʼ satildekḷu n ʻ wristlet ʼ M satildek(h)aḷ sāk(h)aḷ satildek(h)ḷī f ʻ chain ʼ Ko sāṁkaḷ

Si saumlkilla haumldeg aumldeg (st degili -- ) ʻ elephant chain ʼśrṅkhala -- WPahkṭg (kc) śaacuteṅgəḷ f (obl -- i) ʻ

chain ʼ J śatildegaḷ f Garh satildegaḷ(CDIAL 12580) śrṅkhalayati ʻ enchains ʼ Daś [śrṅkhala -

- ]Kugng śāṅaī ʻ intertwining of legs in wrestling ʼ (lt śrṅkhalita -- ) Or sāṅkuḷibā ʻ to enchain

ʼ(CDIAL 12581)

16

శ ృంఖలము (p 1256) śṛṅkhalamu ṣṛinkhalamu [Skt] n A chain or fetter especially for an

elephant a chain of silver worn as a mans girdle or zone సృంకల ఏనుగుసృంకల

మగవనమలనూలు శ ృంఖల ṣṛinkhalī n A certain shrub కకలకషము గలమడదుబబు

சஙகிலிsup1 caṅkili n lt šṛṅkhalaā [M caṅ- kala] 1 Chain link த ொடர சஙகிலிப ொ

லர புணடு (பசதுபு அக 12) 2 Land-measuring chain Gunters chain 22 yards long

அளவுச சஙகிலி (C G) 3 A superficial measure of dry land=364 acres ஓர நிலவளவு

(G Tn D I 239) 4 A chain-ornament of gold inset with diamonds வயிரசசஙகிலி

எனனும அணி சஙகிலி நுணதடொடர (சில 6 99) 5 Hand-cuffs fetters

விலஙகு

This note collates two hypertexts in Sindhu-Sarasvati Script tradition One is on a Mohenjo-daro

seal m0296 (ca 2500 BCE) which shows a link of a chain and the other is on a sculpture

of Gaṇeśa (ca 10th cent) shown wearing a chain as a sacred thread This collation is a

demonstration of the metallurgical competence of the artisans of the civilization

śatildegaḍ chain signifies rebus sangara lsquotradersquo sanghāta adamantine glue (calcine) kaṇḍe pine-

cone signified rebus khaṇḍa (metal) tools Potential calcination is that brought about

by potential fire such as corrosive chemicals for example gold was calcined in a reverberatory

furnace with mercury and sal ammoniac silver with common salt and alkali salt copper with salt

and sulfur iron with sal ammoniac and vinegar tin with antimony lead with sulfur and mercury

with aqua fortis httpsenwikipediaorgwikiCalcination

Gaṇeśa Sindhu-Sarasvati Script tradition significance of hieroglyphs on Dholkal Bastar

Chattisgarh Gaṇeśa with metal chain and pine cone

17

Mirror httpswwwacademiaedus32bd84b1b4

There are two unique hieroglyphs on Gaṇeśa sculpture (h 6 ft) seated statue of Dholkal

mountain Bastar Chattisgarh The yajnopavitam worn by Gaṇeśa is a chain of three stranded

metal chain (iron or steel) wires Gaṇeśa carries on his left hand a pine cone

18

Both hieroglyphs together with the trunk of elephant in iconographs are related to metalwork

catalogues of Sindhu-Sarasvati Script corpora Veneration of Gaṇeśa dates back to Rigvedic

times (See RV 223 sukta gaṇānāṃ tvā gaṇapatiṃ havāmahe kaviṃ kavīnām

upamaśravastamam -- with translation appended) In the tradition of Bharatam Janam gana are

related to kharva dwarfs as part of Kuberas nidhi rebus karba iron

Gaṇeśa of Dholkal Bastar is an emphatic evidence for the thesis of Sandhya Jain in her path-

breaking monograph Adi Deo Arya Devata- A Panoramic View of Tribal-Hindu Cultural

Interface Gaṇeśa is a defining hieroglyphmetaphor of the cultural history of Bharatam Janam

(Bharatam janam metalcaster folk an expression defining the identity of Bharatiya by Rishi

Viswamitra in RV 35312)

Hieroglyph kariba trunk of elephant rebus karba iron ibha elephant rebus ib iron

Hieroglyph dhāu strand of rope Rebus dhāv red ore (ferrite) ti-dhāu three strands Rebus ti-

dhāv three ferrite ores magnetite hematite laterite

Hieroglyph Ash piċ -- kandə ʻ pine ʼ Kt pṳċi piċi Wg puċ puumlċ (pṳċ -- kəŕ ʻ pine -- cone ʼ)

Pr wyoċ Shum lyēwič (lyē -- )(CDIAL 8407) Cf Gk peukh f ʻ pine ʼ Lith pušigraves OPruss

peuse NTS xiii 229 The suffix ndashkande in the lexeme Ash piċ-- kandə ʻ pine ʼ may be cognate

with the bulbous glyphic related to a mangrove root Koḍ kaṇḍe root-stock from which small

roots grow ilamiddotti kaṇḍe sweet potato (ilamiddotti England) Tu kaṇḍe gaḍḍegrave a bulbous root Ta kaṇṭal

mangrove Rhizophora mucronata dichotomous mangrove Kandelia rheedii Ma kaṇṭa bulbous

root as of lotus plantain point where branches and bunches grow out of the stem of a palm

kaṇṭal what is bulb-like half-ripe jackfruit and other green fruits R candel (DEDR 1171)

Rebus khaṇḍa lsquotools pots and pans of metalrsquo

Hieroglyph కృండ [ kaṇḍe ] kaṇḍe [Telugu] n A head or ear of millet or maize జనన కృంక

RebusTu kandůka kandaka ditch trench Te kandakamu id Konḍa kanda trench made as a

fireplace during weddings Pe kanda fire trench Kui kanda small trench for

fireplace Malt kandri a pit (DEDR 1214)

19

Metallurgy alloying competence Chain hieroglyph on seal m0296 śatildegaḍ ʻchainʼ rebus sanghāta

vajra metallic adamantine glue

Mirror httptinyurlcomhyl57us

śatildegal śatildegaḍ ʻchainʼ (WPah) śrṅkhala mn ʻ chain ʼ MārkP deglā -- f VarBrS śrṅkhalaka -- m ʻ

chain ʼ MW ʻ chained camel ʼ Pāṇ [Similar ending in mḗkhalā -- ] Pa saṅkhalā -- deglikā -- f ʻ

chain ʼ Pk saṁkala -- mn deglā -- deglī -- degliā -- saṁkhalā -- siṁkhdeg siṁkalā -- f ʻ chain

ʼ siṁkhala -- n ʻ anklet ʼ Sh šăṅāli f (Lor)šlṅāli šiṅdeg ʻ chain ʼ (lw with š -- lt śr -- )

K ho kal f S saṅgharu m ʻ bell round animals neck ʼ degra f ʻ chain necklace ʼ saṅghāra f ʻ

chain string of beads ʼsaṅghirī f ʻ necklace with double row of beads ʼ L saṅglī f ʻ flock of

bustard ʼ awāṇ saṅgul ʻ chain ʼ P saṅgal m ʻ chain ʼ ludh suṅgal m WPahbhal śaṅgul m ʻ

chain with which a soothsayer strikes himself ʼ śaṅgli f ʻ chain ʼ śiṅkhal f ʻ railing round a

cow -- stall ʼ (Joshi) śatildegaḷ ʻ door -- chain ʼ jaun śatildegal śatildegaḍ ʻ chain ʼ Ku satildeglo ʻ doorchain ʼ

gng śāṅaw ʻ chain ʼ N sāṅlo ʻ chain ʼ degli ʻ small do ʼ A xikali OB siṅkala

B sikal sikli chikal chikli (Chittagong) hĩol ODBL 454 Orsāṅk(h)uḷā degḷi

sāṅkoḷi sikaḷa degḷi sikuḷā degḷi Bi sīkaṛ ʻ chains for pulling harrow ʼ Mth sī˜kaṛ

Bhoj sī˜kar sĩkarī ʻ chain ʼ OH sāṁkaḍa sīkaḍa m

H satildekal satildekardegkrī saṅkal degklī sikal sīkar degkrī f OG sāṁkalu n G satildekaḷ degkḷī f ʻ chain

ʼ satildekḷu n ʻ wristlet ʼ M satildek(h)aḷ sāk(h)aḷ satildek(h)ḷī f ʻ chain ʼ Ko sāṁkaḷ

Si saumlkilla haumldeg aumldeg (st degili -- ) ʻ elephant chain ʼśrṅkhalayatiAddenda śrṅkhala -- WPahkṭg

(kc) śaacuteṅgəḷ f (obl -- i) ʻ chain ʼ J śatildegaḷ f Garh satildegaḷśrṅkhalayati ʻ enchains ʼ Daś [śrṅkhala

-- ]

Kugng śāṅaī ʻ intertwining of legs in wrestling ʼ (lt śrṅkhalita -- ) Or sāṅkuḷibā ʻ to enchain

ʼ(CDIAL 12580 12581)சஙகிலிsup1 caṅkili n lt šṛṅkhalaā [M caṅ- kala] 1 Chain link

த ொடர சஙகிலிப ொ லர புணடு (பசதுபு அக 12) 2 Land-measuring chain

Gunters chain 22 yards long அளவுச சஙகிலி (C G) 3 A superficial measure of dry

land=364 acres ஓர நிலவளவு (G Tn D I 239) 4 A chain-ornament of gold inset with

diamonds வயிரசசஙகிலி எனனும அணி சஙகிலி நுணதடொடர (சில 6 99)

5 Hand-cuffs fetters விலஙகு

Rebus Vajra Sanghāta binding together Mixture of 8 lead 2 bell-metal 1 iron rust constitute

adamantine glue (Allograph) Hieroglyph saghāṛɔ lathe(Gujarati)

Seal m0296 Two heads of young bulls nine ficus leaves)

19

Metallurgy alloying competence Chain hieroglyph on seal m0296 śatildegaḍ ʻchainʼ rebus sanghāta

vajra metallic adamantine glue

Mirror httptinyurlcomhyl57us

śatildegal śatildegaḍ ʻchainʼ (WPah) śrṅkhala mn ʻ chain ʼ MārkP deglā -- f VarBrS śrṅkhalaka -- m ʻ

chain ʼ MW ʻ chained camel ʼ Pāṇ [Similar ending in mḗkhalā -- ] Pa saṅkhalā -- deglikā -- f ʻ

chain ʼ Pk saṁkala -- mn deglā -- deglī -- degliā -- saṁkhalā -- siṁkhdeg siṁkalā -- f ʻ chain

ʼ siṁkhala -- n ʻ anklet ʼ Sh šăṅāli f (Lor)šlṅāli šiṅdeg ʻ chain ʼ (lw with š -- lt śr -- )

K ho kal f S saṅgharu m ʻ bell round animals neck ʼ degra f ʻ chain necklace ʼ saṅghāra f ʻ

chain string of beads ʼsaṅghirī f ʻ necklace with double row of beads ʼ L saṅglī f ʻ flock of

bustard ʼ awāṇ saṅgul ʻ chain ʼ P saṅgal m ʻ chain ʼ ludh suṅgal m WPahbhal śaṅgul m ʻ

chain with which a soothsayer strikes himself ʼ śaṅgli f ʻ chain ʼ śiṅkhal f ʻ railing round a

cow -- stall ʼ (Joshi) śatildegaḷ ʻ door -- chain ʼ jaun śatildegal śatildegaḍ ʻ chain ʼ Ku satildeglo ʻ doorchain ʼ

gng śāṅaw ʻ chain ʼ N sāṅlo ʻ chain ʼ degli ʻ small do ʼ A xikali OB siṅkala

B sikal sikli chikal chikli (Chittagong) hĩol ODBL 454 Orsāṅk(h)uḷā degḷi

sāṅkoḷi sikaḷa degḷi sikuḷā degḷi Bi sīkaṛ ʻ chains for pulling harrow ʼ Mth sī˜kaṛ

Bhoj sī˜kar sĩkarī ʻ chain ʼ OH sāṁkaḍa sīkaḍa m

H satildekal satildekardegkrī saṅkal degklī sikal sīkar degkrī f OG sāṁkalu n G satildekaḷ degkḷī f ʻ chain

ʼ satildekḷu n ʻ wristlet ʼ M satildek(h)aḷ sāk(h)aḷ satildek(h)ḷī f ʻ chain ʼ Ko sāṁkaḷ

Si saumlkilla haumldeg aumldeg (st degili -- ) ʻ elephant chain ʼśrṅkhalayatiAddenda śrṅkhala -- WPahkṭg

(kc) śaacuteṅgəḷ f (obl -- i) ʻ chain ʼ J śatildegaḷ f Garh satildegaḷśrṅkhalayati ʻ enchains ʼ Daś [śrṅkhala

-- ]

Kugng śāṅaī ʻ intertwining of legs in wrestling ʼ (lt śrṅkhalita -- ) Or sāṅkuḷibā ʻ to enchain

ʼ(CDIAL 12580 12581)சஙகிலிsup1 caṅkili n lt šṛṅkhalaā [M caṅ- kala] 1 Chain link

த ொடர சஙகிலிப ொ லர புணடு (பசதுபு அக 12) 2 Land-measuring chain

Gunters chain 22 yards long அளவுச சஙகிலி (C G) 3 A superficial measure of dry

land=364 acres ஓர நிலவளவு (G Tn D I 239) 4 A chain-ornament of gold inset with

diamonds வயிரசசஙகிலி எனனும அணி சஙகிலி நுணதடொடர (சில 6 99)

5 Hand-cuffs fetters விலஙகு

Rebus Vajra Sanghāta binding together Mixture of 8 lead 2 bell-metal 1 iron rust constitute

adamantine glue (Allograph) Hieroglyph saghāṛɔ lathe(Gujarati)

Seal m0296 Two heads of young bulls nine ficus leaves)

20

m0296 Two heads of one-horned bulls with neck-rings joined end to end (to a standard device

with two rings coming out of the top part) under a stylized pipal tree with nine leaves Text

1387

dula pair rebus dul cast metal dhAv stringstrand rebus dhAv dhAtu

element ore

Mohenjo-daro Seal impression m0296 Two heads of one-horned bulls with neck-rings joined

end to end (to a standard device with two rings coming out of the top part) under a stylized

tree-branch with nine leaves

ख ोद [ khōnda ] n A hump (on the back) also a protuberance or an incurvation (of a wall a

hedge a road) Rebus ख दण [ khōdaṇēṃ ] v c amp i ( H) To dig 2 To engrave ख द ख दन

विच रण or -पसण To question minutely and searchingly to probeग ट [ gōṭa ] m (H) A metal

wristlet An ornament of women 2 Encircling or investing v घ ल द 3 An encampment or camp

21

also a division of a camp 4 The hem or an appended border (of a garment)ग ट [ gōṭā ] m A

roundish stone or pebble 2 A marble (of stone lac wood ampc) 3 fig A grain of rice in the ear

Ex प िस न भ त च ग ट झडल An overripe and rattling cocoanut also such dry kernel detached

from the shell 5 A narrow fillet of brocadeग ट ळ [ gōṭāḷa ] a (ग ट ) Abounding in pebbles--

groundग टी [ gōṭī ] f (Dim of ग ट ) A roundish stone or pebble 2 A marble 3 A large lifting

stone Used in trials of strength among the Athletaelig 4 A stone in temples described at length

under उचल 5 fig A term for a round fleshy well-filled body

Rebus ग टी [ gōṭī ] f (Dim of ग ट ) A lump of silver as obtained by melting down lace or

fringe

Hieroglyph lo = nine (Santali) no = nine (B) on-patu = nine (Ta)

[Note the count of nine fig leaves on m0296] Rebus loa = a species of fig tree ficus glomerata

the fruit of ficus glomerata (Santalilex)

Epigraph 1387

kana kanac = corner (Santali) Rebus kantildecu= bronze (Te)

Ligatured glyph ara spoke rebus ara brass era er-a = eraka =nave erako_lu = the iron axle

of a carriage (KaM) cf irasu (Kalex)[Note Sign 391 and its ligatures Signs 392 and 393 may

connote a spoked-wheelnave of the wheel through which the axle passes cf ara_ spoke]erka =

ekke (Tbhof arka) aka (Tbh of arka) copper (metal)crystal (Kalex) cf eruvai = copper

(Talex) eraka er-aka = anymetal infusion (KaTu) erako molten cast (Tulex) Rebus eraka=

copper (Ka)eruvai =copper (Ta) ere - a dark-red colour (Ka)(DEDR 817) eraka era er-a=

syn erka copper weapons (Ka)Vikalpa ara arā (RV) = spokeof wheel ஆரமsup2 āram n

lt āra 1 Spokeof a wheelSee ஆரககால ஆரஞசூழநதவயிலவாய

நநமியயாடு (சிறுபாண 253) Rebus ஆரம brass பிததளை(அக நி) pittal is cognate

with pewter

The hieroglyph components in these hypertext variants are

1 dhāḷ slanted stroke

2 khāṇḍā notch jag

22

Both together signify rebus dhāḷako ingot PLUS khaṇḍa implement

dhāḷ slanted stroke A ḍhaliba ʻto leanʼ B ḍhalā Or ḍhaḷibā ʻto inclineʼ(CDIAL 5581) Rebus

dhāḷako large ingot(Gujarati)

ख ोड (p 116) khāṇḍa f (खोड S) A break or opening in a dam or mound a crack or fissure in a

wall ampc 2 A jag indentation denticulation 3 A gap in the teeth a notch ख ोड (p 116) khāṇḍā

A jag notch or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon) Rebus khaṇḍa metal

implements as inlokhaṇḍa

kuṭi = a slice a bit a small piece (SantalilexBodding) Rebus kuṭhi

lsquoiron smelter furnacersquo (Santali) kuṭhī factory (A)(CDIAL 3546)

Thus the sign sequence as a hypertext signifies a copper bronze brass smelter

furnace

Ayo lsquofishrsquo kaṇḍa lsquoarrowrsquo rebus ayaskāṇḍa The sign sequence is ayaskāṇḍa lsquoa quantity of

ironexcellent ironrsquo (Pāṇgaṇ) ayo hako fish rebusaya = iron (G) ayah ayas = metal (Skt)

PLUS khambhaṛā fishfin rebus Ta kampaṭṭam coinage coin Ma kammaṭṭam

kammiṭṭam coinage mint Ka kammaṭa id kammaṭi a coiner (DEDR 1236)

kaṇḍalsquofire-altarrsquo (Santali) DEDR 191 Ta ayiraiacarai acalai loach sandy colour Cobitisthermalis

ayilai a kind of fish Ma ayala a fishmackerel scomber aila ayila a fish ayira a kind ofsmall

fish loach

23

kolel temple smithy(Ko) kolme lsquosmithy (Ka) kol lsquoworking in iron blacksmith (Ta)

kollan-blacksmith (Ta) kollan blacksmith artificer (Ma)(DEDR 2133) kolme =furnace

(Ka) kol = pan~calo_ha (five

metals) kol metal (Talex) pan~caloha = a metallic alloy containing five metals copper brass tin

lead and iron (Skt) an alternative list of five metals gold silver copper tin (lead) and

iron (dhātu Nānārtharatnākara 82 Mangarājarsquos Nighaṇṭu 498)(Ka) kol kolhe lsquothe koles an

aboriginal tribe if iron smelters speaking a language akin to that of Santalsrsquo (Santali)

Zebu and leaves In

front of the standard device and the stylized tree of 9 leaves are the black

buck antelopes Black paint on red ware of Kulli style Mehi Second-half of

3rd millennium BCE [After GL Possehl 1986 Kulli an exploration of an

ancient civilization in South Asia Centers of Civilization I Durham NC

46 fig 18 (Mehi II45) based on Stein 1931 pl 30

poLa zebu rebus poLa magnetite

ayir = iron dust any ore (Ma) aduru = ganiyindategadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the

mine and not subjected to

melting in a furnace (Ka Siddha_nti Subrahmanyarsquo Srsquoastrirsquos new interpretationof the

Amarakosrsquoa Bangalore Vicaradarpana Press 1872 p 330)

DEDR 192 Ta ayil iron Ma ayirayiram any ore Ka aduru native

metal Tu ajirdakarba very hard iron

V326 (Orthographic variants of Sign

326) V327 (Orthographic variants of Sign 327)

loa = a species of fig tree ficus glomerata the fruit of ficus

glomerata (Santalilex) Vikalpa kamaṛkom lsquoficusrsquo (Santali)

rebus kampaṭṭam lsquomintrsquo (Ta) patra lsquoleafrsquo (Skt) rebus paṭṭarai

lsquoworkshoprsquo (Ta) Rebus lo lsquoironrsquo (Assamese Bengali) loa lsquoironrsquo (Gypsy) lauha = made of

copper or iron (GrSr) metal iron (Skt) lo_haka_ra = coppersmith ironsmith (Pali)lo_ha_ra =

blacksmith (Pt) lohala (Or) lo_ha = metal esp copper or

bronze (Pali) copper (VS) loho lo_ = metal ore iron (Si) loha luti = iron utensils

and implements (Santali) koṭiyum = a wooden circle put round the neck of an animal koṭ =

neck (Gujarati) kōṭu = horns (Ta) kōḍiya kōḍe =

24

young bull (G) Rebus koḍ = place where artisans work (Gujarati) ख ोड (p 122) khōṇḍa m A

young bull a bullcalf 2 A variety of ज ोधळ ख ोड (p 122) khōṇḍā m A क ोबळ of which one

end is formed into a cowl or hood क ोद kōnda young bull rebus क ोद kōnda kũdār turner

(Bengali) ख दण (p 122) khōdaṇēṃ v c amp i ( H) To dig 2 To engrave Thus the one-horned

young bull signifies an engravers workshop

dol = likeness picture form (Santali) [eg two tigers two bulls

duplicated signs] me~ṛhe~t iron ispat m = steel dul m = cast iron (Santali) [Thus the paired

glyph of one-horned heifers connotes (metal) casting (dul) workshop (koḍ)]

PLUS

śatildegaḍ ʻchainʼ rebus sanghāta vajra metallic adamantine glue Thus the metallurgist has

achieved and documented the alloy of copper as adamantine glue Decomposition of calcium

carbonate (limestone) to calcium oxide (lime) and carbon dioxide in order to create cement The

process is called calcination of metal which is oxidation of metal It appears that the process of

calcination is signified by the chain worn as sacred thread on the statue of Gaṇeśa of Bastar

(Dholkal mountain) Chattisgarh

Will Durant wrote in The Story of Civilization I Our Oriental Heritage

Something has been said about the chemical excellence of cast iron in ancient India (Ancient

Bhāratam) and about the high industrial development of the Gupta times when India (Ancient

Bhāratam) was looked to even by Imperial Rome as the most skilled of the nations in such

chemical industries as dyeing tanning soap-making glass and cement By the sixth century the

Hindus were far ahead of Europe in industrial chemistry they were masters of calcinations

distillation sublimation steaming fixation the production of light without heat the mixing

of anesthetic and soporific powders and the preparation of metallic salts compounds and alloys

The tempering of steel was brought in ancient India (Ancient Bhāratam) to a perfection unknown

in Europe till our own times King Porus is said to have selected as a specially valuable gift

from Alexander not gold or silver but thirty pounds of steel The Moslems took much of this

Hindu chemical science and industry to the Near East and Europe the secret of

manufacturing Damascus blades for example was taken by the Arabs from the Persians and

by the Persians from India (Ancient Bhāratam)

The chain hieroglyph component is a semantic determinant of the stylized standard device

satildegaḍa lathe portable brazier used for making say crucible steel Hence the circle with dots or

blobsglobules signifying ingots (The blobs may also signify khāṇḍā notch jag rebus khāṇḍā

implements)

25

Ta kol working in iron blacksmith kollaṉ blacksmith Ma kollan blacksmith artificer Ko

kolel smithy temple in Kota village To kwalal Kota smithy Ka kolime kolume kulame

kulime kulume kulme fire-pit furnace (Bell UPU) konimi blacksmith(Gowda)

kolla id Koḍ kolleuml blacksmith Te kolimi furnace Go (SR) kollusānā to mend implements

(Ph) kolstānā kulsānā to forge (Tr) kōlstānā to repair (of ploughshares) (SR) kolmi smithy

(Voc 948) Kuwi (F) kolhali to forge (DEDR 2133)

Sindhu-Sarasvati Script is a continuum of Vedic culture of wealth-creation through Soma yajna

This is evidenced by the ketu (RV 388) of an octagonal pillar on a fire-altar of Binjor (4MSR)

together with a seal with inscription Such Yupa inscriptions continue in historical periods in

Rajasthan Allahabad and East Borneo

Conclusion

The decipherment of mlecchita vikalpa (Meluhha cipher) on almost all 8000+ inscriptions

indicates that the inscriptions are metalwork catalogues

Thus the wealth creation (artha samgraha) activities of Bhāratam Janam are documented in the

Corpora of inscriptions as a repository with particular reference to metalwork

Other components of wealth creation relate to domestication of rice millet and cotton There are

indications that cotton weaving for fabrics had started in the 4th millennium

S Kalyanaraman

Sarasvati Research Center

April 10 2017