The ancient Brahmi script was the first script of India. It emerged during the Mauryan period and was used by Emperor Ashoka in his inscriptions ~250 BC.

The origins of the Brahmi script remain unclear - some scholars speculate that it was designed during Ashoka's reign. Ashoka addressed his subjects via inscriptions in this script cut into rocks and pillars, at the boundaries and trade routes of his vast empire.

All Indian scripts are derived from the Brahmi script (below).

This chart presents, in broad outline, the evolution of a representative character NNA from early Brahmi to major modern Indian scripts (adapted from Sivrama Murti, 1952).