In scholarship, term most frequently referring to the Indo-Aryan family of languages and their scripts — including Sanskrit, Brahmi and Kharoshthi — or more generally to the classical, Sanskritic culture of the Indian subcontinent. Precursors of Sanskrit, known only through linguistic reconstruction, have been given names such as Old Indic and Middle Indic by specialists. The word ‘Indic’ derives from the Latin Indicus, meaning ‘of India’, and has been in use since the seventeenth century at least, often used loosely to mean ‘having to do with India’.
More Definitions
Sangha
A monastic order comprising bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns), it is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. From the…
Satyagraha
A form of non-violent resistance pioneered by MK Gandhi. It translates to "an appeal for truth" and is based on…
Nastaliq
A style of Persian calligraphy that originated in Timurid Iran and gained popularity from the fifteenth century onwards. Written in…
Humanism
A term coined in the nineteenth century to describe philosophical doctrines that originated in thirteenth and fourteenth-century Italy that emphasised…
stambha
Sanskrit for ‘pillar’, historically appearing in various contexts, including Vedic liturgy, Brahmanical mythology, and Brahmanical treatises on architecture, theatre and…
Devi Upanishad
A minor Upanishad often classified as one of the eight Shakta Upanishads, it is one of the nineteen late-Vedic texts…
Sutra
Literally meaning "string" or "thread," it refers to literature from the ancient and medieval periods that was originally preserved and…
Shahnama
The Shahnama (Book of Kings) is an epic poem that was composed by Firdausi in 1010 CE and comprising around…