The correct option is (a).
Explanation
The Brahmi script is considered the progenitor of most scripts used in South Asia. Its study is central to Indian epigraphy, particularly regarding the decipherment of Ashokan edicts by James Prinsep in 1837, which established the link between ancient and modern Indian scripts.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Correct: The vast majority of modern Indian scripts, including Devanagari, Bengali, Gurmukhi, Gujarati, and the Dravidian scripts (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam), trace their lineage back to the Brahmi script.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: Although modern scripts originated from Brahmi, the orthography (shape of letters) has evolved significantly over two millennia. The letter 'a' in Early Brahmi is geometric (often resembling a 'K' shape or angular form), whereas in Devanagari and Bengali, it is curvilinear and distinct. They are not written identically.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Emperor Ashoka used the Brahmi script for the majority of his inscriptions found within the Indian subcontinent. In the northwestern regions, other scripts such as Kharosthi, Greek, and Aramaic were utilized.
- Statement 4 is Incorrect: The Tamil script is historically derived from Brahmi. An early variant known as Tamil-Brahmi was used to write the Tamil language in the ancient period, which later evolved into the modern Tamil script.
Key Takeaway:
Brahmi is the foundational script for almost all major Indian languages, both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. While the lineage is shared, the visual representation of letters has undergone drastic changes over centuries.