Bakhshali manuscript
| Bakhshali manuscript | |
|---|---|
| Bodleian Library, University of Oxford | |
One of the Bakhshali manuscripts. | |
| Type | Mathematical text |
| Date | AD 224–383/ 885–993 (proposed carbon-dates, recently disputed on methodological grounds: Plofker et al. 2017, Houben 2018 §3) 799 - 1102 AD (9th - 11th century Approx) [New Carbon dates published, on 14th of October 2024, Oxford University] |
| Place of origin | Bakhshali, (present-day) Pakistan |
| Language(s) | Sanskrit with influence from local dialects |
| Material | Birch bark |
| Format | Seventy leaves |
| Condition | Too fragile to be handled |
| Script | Sharada script |
| Contents | maths text |
| Discovered | 1881 |
The Bakhshali manuscript is an ancient Indian mathematical text written on birch bark that was found in 1881 in the village of Bakhshali, Mardan (near Peshawar in present-day Pakistan, historical Gandhara). It is perhaps "the oldest extant manuscript in Indian mathematics". For some portions a carbon-date was proposed of AD 224–383 while for other portions a carbon-date as late as AD 885–993 in a 2017 study. The open manner and timing of the publication of these test dates was criticised by a group of Indian mathematical historians (Plofker et al. 2017 and Houben 2018 §3). Up until Sep 2024 the manuscript is known to have contained the earliest known Indian use of a zero symbol. It is written in a form of literary Sanskrit influenced by contemporary dialects.
However, in October 2024, Oxford University having revised its findings from second run of carbon dating tests in 2018, revealed that Bakshali manuscript dates from 799 - 1102 AD (9th - 11th century Approx).