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Difference Between Manuscript and Inscription

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What is a Manuscript?

The manuscript is related to historical, scientific, literary or aesthetic value documents written by hand. It is also the unpublished work of the writer. The word manuscript evolved from the Latin word manu scriptus, which means ‘written by hand’. Here manu means hand, and scriptus mean to write. The objective of writing the manuscript was to preserve the history of the period. The modern manuscript can be defined as a piece of art that is specially written for publishing.

The aim of writing manuscripts was to transfer the history to upcoming generations. In the modern day, a manuscript is considered as a piece of art that has been written for publishing purposes. The manuscripts were about the lives of kings, religious beliefs and practices in medicine and science. Various manuscripts consist of different epics, poems and plays.


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Image: An Ancient Manuscript


Types of Manuscript

There are different types of manuscripts. Some of the important types of manuscripts are given below.

  • Research Articles

Research articles type manuscripts provide information about research on different subjects. These articles consist of an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references.

  • Case Studies

A case study is defined as a report on a particular case. The cases of this type of study can be real or hypothetical, which depends upon the situation. The objective of case studies is to provide people with solutions to a particular problem. This is one of the common forms of manuscript among practitioners. 

  • Reflective Essays

The reflective essays are the reflection of the work of a person in an organisation. It is more personal and subjective than case studies.

  • Review Articles

They do not cover original research.  Review articles accumulate the results of several different articles on a topic into a coherent narrative about state of the art in the emerging field of food systems, agricultural development. Review articles provide knowledge about the topic and journal references to the original research.

  • Research Briefs 

It follows a research paper that has already been submitted. It is an update on international or national research.

  • Policy and Practice Briefs

The policy brief proved the details of private or government policy. The consist issues and other details of the policy.


What is an Inscription?

The inscription also comes in the category of an act of writing. The inscription was engraved on the walls of caves, pillars, rocks and stone. Basically, these were engraved on hard surfaces. There are several inscriptions found in India. Some very famous inscriptions of India are Edicts of Ashoka, Mangulam Inscription, Gupta Script, Badami Chalukya Pillar, Junagarh Rock Inscriptions, Allahabad Pillar Inscription, Nanaghat Inscription, Inscription of Nasik, Inscription of Hathigumpha, Inscription of Mandsaur, Garuda Pillar Inscription and Mehrauli Inscription etc. 


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 Image: Indian Copper Plate Inscription

 

Types of Inscription

There are different categories of inscriptions. The different types of inscriptions are given below.

  • Commercial Inscription

Commercial Inscriptions are found in the form of coins and seals. This type of commercial inscription is found in Indus Valley, which was used for commercial trades.

  • Commemorative Inscription

These types of inscriptions are records of birth and death of important personalities.

Some famous commemorative inscriptions are inscriptions of Ashoka, Madhubani, orders of Harshavardhana of the Vardhana dynasty.

  • Administrative Inscription

Some inscriptions deal with political and administrative aspects of historical rulers. Some of the administrative inscriptions are the Sohgaura copper plate Inscription, The Junagarh Rock Inscription of Rudradaman and the Banskhera copper plate Inscription etc.

  • Didactic and Religious

These inscriptions are related to religious matters. Ashoka’s religious instructions were engraved on pillars and rocks. The edicts of Ashoka are known as Dhamma lipi that was inscribed on the pillars called Dhamma stambhas.

  • Donative Inscription

Donative inscriptions are related to donations and charity. These inscriptions were named in different ways, such as Tamrapata, Tamra Asana and Danapatra. They also refer to the donation of land and villages to the monks or brahmans, educational institutions.

  •  Eulogistic Inscription

Eulogical inscriptions were official inscriptions that were made to praise the activities of the ruler. Allahabad prasati of Samudragupta is an example of an Eulogistic inscription.


Difference Between Manuscript and Inscription

Archaeological and literary sources are reasons that we are able to learn about history. Do you know the difference between manuscript and inscription is based on different parameters such as lifespan, maintenance, creation and modification? From manuscripts and inscriptions, historians explore history. It is helpful for them to understand what happened in the past. Here, the difference between manuscript and inscription are given on various bases. They are the sources of information of the past, but they have some differences. The difference between manuscript and inscription is given below.


S. No.

Bases

            Manuscript

            Inscription


Characteristic

It is a handwritten or manually typed record of history.

It is an engraved record of history.


Material

It is written on the surfaces of palm tree trunks or leaves, the bark of different trees such as birch tree, vellum, papyrus, parchment, etc.

It is an engraved record of famous Kings and important events on hard surfaces such as rocks or stones, caves, pillars etc.


Preservation

The preservation of the Manuscript is a difficult task as it is written on the soft leaves of trees. Hence Manuscripts are preserved by the Museums.

The preservation of Inscriptions does not need any special efforts as they are engraved on hard surfaces. They do not vanish with time.


Creation

It is easy to create anytime.

The creation of Inscription needs special techniques and efforts.


Modification

It is easy to modify a handwritten document. 

It is not easy to modify an engraved record.


Durability 

If a manuscript is not preserved correctly, its lifespan is short.

It has a longer life because it is not easy to damage an engraved surface.


Examples

Manuscripts of Kalidas, Tulsidas and other historical poets, Ramayan, Vedas and Puranas etc

Bodhgaya inscription of Mahanaman, Ashoka Inscriptions on Sarnath Pillar (Ashoka Column), Allahabad Pillar, Iron pillar of Delhi, Rishtal inscription, Dhaneswar Khera Buddha image inscription etc.


Manuscript vs Inscription

The manuscript is a handwritten or typewritten document. On the other hand, Inscriptions are written on hard surfaces such as metal (ex. copper plates),  rocks or stones. Manuscript and Inscription both are sources of historical knowledge or information. We must know the difference between manuscript and inscription. It is estimated that 100000 manuscripts have been produced from 1500 BC to 1900 AD, out of which only 1/10 are traced — the manuscript and inscription help later generations reconstruct history. 

These are the basis of the study of history. The ancient rulers have engraved the inscription so that their idea of governing and other customs can come into the knowledge of the following generations. Religious scriptures such as Vedas and Puranas are a form of manuscripts and inscriptions. In the old days, in some places, orders of Kings were used to be engraved on pillars so that citizens could be aware of that and follow those orders.

Indian history is varied and vivid. Some unnamed manuscripts and inscriptions are found in different parts of India or across the world. We are aware of the world’s history only because they are preserved either in the form of manuscripts or inscriptions. Inscriptions are an authentic source of information. After getting knowledge of manuscript and inscription one can surely reply to the answer to the question: do you know the difference between manuscript and inscription? These written and engraved documents provide us with information about the existence of different civilisations and how they survived.


Did You Know?

  • No other country in the world has as many manuscripts as India has; in estimation, India has more than 5 million manuscripts.

  • Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese scholar and monk who came to India in the 7th century, carried back numerous manuscripts from India.

FAQs on Difference Between Manuscript and Inscription

1. How are Inscriptions Better Than Manuscripts?

Answer: Inscriptions are somewhere better than manuscripts because of their durability. They are durable towards temperature, weather, flood etc. On the other hand, Manuscripts are not easy to preserve for a long time. They can decay due to temperature, natural disasters or chemical decay etc. Many ancient inscriptions are found because of their durability. Inscriptions do not need any special efforts to maintain and preserve.

2. What is the Difference Between Manuscript and Inscription?

Answer: Both manuscripts and inscriptions are sources of historical information, but we should know the difference between manuscript and inscription as their creation is quite different. A manuscript is a handwritten record or document, while an inscription is an engraved document. Ancient inscriptions are found in large numbers on the walls of caves, rocks, metal plates etc. These are difficult to create in comparison to manuscripts, but their lifetime is more than manuscripts. Modification of manuscripts is easier than inscriptions.

3. How Many Inscriptions Does Ashoka Have?

Answer: The Edicts of Ashoka are more than thirty inscriptions on the pillars, boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire. He ruled from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. The theme of these inscriptions is the conversion of Ashoka’s to Buddhism, his efforts to spread Buddhism, his moral and religious precepts, and his social welfare program.