During the field work I also wanted to focus on my essay and finish it first as my project was going towards heavy copy-led work and I realised my essay would provide me with a strong background to help me finalise my manifesto. I had a few ideas on what I wanted to write about. Here are they:
The Journey of Devanagari: Evolution from Nagari, Gupta, and Grantha to Modern Scripts
Thesis Statement: This essay will explore the historical evolution of the Devanagari script, tracing its origins from Nagari and its development into the Gupta alphabet in the north and Grantha in the south, drawing parallels between the scripts and languages of North and South India, and examining how Devanagari travelled beyond India to Nepal and other parts of South Asia, using postcolonial theory and a comparative historical lens to analyse how colonial narratives and cultural factors have shaped the understanding and development of these scripts.
2. Devanagari Script in Contemporary Design: Preserving Tradition Through Modern Typography
Thesis Statement: This essay will investigate how contemporary designers are preserving the traditional aspects of the Devanagari script through modern typography, highlighting the balance between cultural heritage and modern design needs, by applying cultural preservation theory and an aesthetic-functional lens to examine the visual and functional implications of these design efforts.
3. The Intersection of Language and Identity: Understanding Hindi Through Its Script
Thesis Statement: This essay will explore the relationship between the Hindi language and its script, Devanagari, focusing on how the script shapes and reflects linguistic and cultural identity, by utilising linguistic relativity theory and a sociolinguistic lens to understand how the structure of Devanagari influences perception, identity formation, and cultural narratives.
After initial discussions with Martin, he emphasised on having my personal voice come through my essay. We discussed on how a strong liking towards the topic is important to write well about. We discussed somethings around industrialisation and scripts history, how colonialism impacted it, how western influence impacted it. Martin pointed out a few strong points during our conversations which helped me draft a strong opening for my essay.
Looking at where my practical project is headed- The practical project revolves around celebrating the complexity and cultural heritage of the Devanagari script, particularly focusing on the formation of conjunct letters. The project aims to highlight the unique phonetic richness of Devanagari, which has been diminished due to standardization efforts during the colonial and industrial eras. Through modern tactile typography, this project seeks to preserve and promote the traditional aspects of Devanagari, emphasizing its ability to create custom sounds and its cultural significance in languages such as Sanskrit. This multifaceted approach ensures that the project is not only visually engaging but also culturally enriching and educational.
Building on an essay plan based on this went as below-
Trigger point-Devanagiri’s history is rich in terms of its evolution, with significant influences from the West and Persia shaping the modern language we speak today. Hindi language’s phonetic history has largely been impacted through the way its now written.
Working title- Revisiting Devanagari through the intersection of History, Culture, and Legacy.
Thesis Statement- This essay examines the evolution of the Devanagari script from Brahmi to its modern form, critiquing the standardisation imposed in the 1900s, and, through a lens of cultural hegemony and Peirce’s semiotics, argues for preserving Devanagari’s complexity to highlight the importance of linguistic diversity.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Historical Evolution of Devanagari Script through written and pictorial evidences
Trace the development of Devanagari from Brahmi.
Discuss its alpha-syllabic nature and unique characteristics.
Address historical misconceptions using insights from Richard Solomon’s “Indian Epigraphy.”
Explore the relationship between written and spoken South Asian languages.
Present historical evidence of early written languages in South Asia.
Chapter 2: Influence of Industrialisation on the script
Analyse the influence of colonial and industrial revolutions.
Examine the standardisation process in the 1900s.
English became the language of colonialism and industrialisation.
Discuss the need for compatibility with Monotype, Linotype, and typewriters.
Evaluate the impact of reducing character complexity for standardisation.
Chapter 3: Peirce’s Semiotic Theory and Devanagari
Introduce Peirce’s semiotic theory and his revised semiotic model.
Explaining Devanagiri’s anatomical structure using Peirce’s theory.
Explain how this model enhances the understanding of Devanagari’s visual and functional aspects.
Chapter 4: Countering Standardisation and Simplification
Analyse the rationale behind standardising and simplifying Devanagari.
Present counterarguments from a design and heritage perspective.
Chapter 5: Comparative Analysis with Other Historic Languages
Draw parallels between Devanagari and other historic languages.
Compare the effects of standardisation on different scripts.
Highlight lessons learned from other languages regarding preservation and modernisation.
Conclusion
Summarise the key findings of the essay.
Call for a balanced approach that respects both cultural heritage and modern design needs.
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