Why don't both ancient and modern Indians use a single writing system for all languages as the Chinese have done since the Qin Dynasty?  The Indian subcontinent is not really as completely divided geographically as Europe.

中国在秦朝统一了文字，为什么印度人不学中国，为所有语言统一书写系统呢？印度次大陆在地理上并不像欧洲那样四分五裂。

以下是Quora网友的评论：

Lalit Patel

My knowledge here is limited, but my perspective regarding this can be helpful

At a certain point in history, kings of different regions might have felt that devising their own unique script would allow them to "put curtains on" their information.

The arrival of mughals in India activated this strategy further. Bengal and Punjab region developed their own scripts, different from the earlier Devngari script.

Thereafter Britishers developed a different (Gujarati) script for the region of today's Gujarat. Gujarati language textbooks of up to 1850 were in Devnagari script; those of about 1850 to 1940 had poetry in Devnagari script and prose in Gujarati script; and those beyond 1940 are fully in Gujarati script.

India is a nation of order through chaos!

我在这方面的知识有限，但我的观点可能会给你一点帮助。

历史上，不同地区的国王可能会觉得独一无二的文字可以有助于他们“保守”自己的信息。

莫卧儿王朝的到来进一步激活了这一战略。孟加拉和旁遮普地区形成了自己的文字，有别于早期的德文加里文字。

后来，英国人为今天的古吉拉特邦地区设计了一种不同的(古吉拉特语)文字。1850年以前的古吉拉特语教科书都是用德文加里文字编制的；1850年到1940年间，人们还用德文加里文字写诗，用古吉拉特文字写散文；但1940年以后就全都改用古吉拉特文字了。

印度是一个在混乱中寻找秩序的国家！

Dr. Balaji Viswanathan

Ancient India had a fairly unified script that is 1000s of years old. Nearly all major Indian languages uses scripts derived from this.

You can still see the unifying characteristics. For instance, all major Indian languages use two forms of vowels — a, aa, i, ii, u, uu, etc and all constants have a short vowel — ka, nga, cha etc.

古印度也有统一的文字，已经有1000年的历史了。几乎所有主要的印度语言都使用源于这种文字的衍生文字。

你现在还可以找到统一的特征。例如，所有主要的印度语言都会使用两种元音—a、aa、i、ii、u、uu等，所有常规发音都含有一个短元音—比如ka、nga、cha等。

Over 1000s of years of evolution, they got fairly different. Unlike ancient Rome or China, India often didn’t have centralized political structures. The nation always used distributed systems with varying groups trying to have a distinct identity within the system.

There are 2 key variants of Brahmi - Northern Brahmic and Southern Brahmic and both of them spread from India to rest of Asia.

经过了数千年的演变，它们已经出现很多差异了。和古罗马或中国不同，印度基本没有中央的政治结构。印度一直采用分散管理的体系，不同族群都想在政治体系中拥有独特的身份。

婆罗米文有两个主要的衍生体—北婆罗米文和南婆罗米文，它们都是从印度传播到亚洲其他地区的。

Today, Devanagari is the dominant script that is understood by majority of Indians. However, the strive to protect our complete culture is strong and thus we also support and maintain other scripts.

现在，德文加里文字是大多数印度人可以读懂的主要文字。但保护印度完整文化的努力十分强劲，所以我们也支持和保护其他文字。

ADDICTED BOY ADDICTED

The question of why India doesn't use a single writing system for all languages, akin to China's unified system, is complex and rooted in historical, cultural, linguistic, and political factors. Here are several reasons contributing to the diversity of writing systems in India:

为什么印度不像中国那样，使用统一的文字来书写所有的语言？这个问题非常复杂，它植根于历史、文化、语言和政治等多种因素。以下是导致印度文字体系多样性的几个原因：

1. Linguistic Diversity: India is incredibly diverse linguistically, with over 1,600 languages spoken across the country. This linguistic diversity reflects India's rich cultural heritage and historical evolution. Each language has its own unique script, phonetics, and grammar, reflecting the identity and history of its speakers.

2. Historical Development: India's linguistic diversity has deep historical roots, with various languages and scripts evolving over millennia. The Indian subcontinent has been home to numerous civilizations, each contributing to the development of languages and scripts. For example, scripts such as Brahmi, which originated in ancient India, gave rise to several modern scripts, including Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and others.

1. 语言多样性：印度的语言多样性令人难以置信，全国有多达1600多种语言。这种语言的多样性反映了印度丰富的文化遗产和历史演变。每种语言都有自己独特的文字、语音和语法，反映了该种语言使用群体的身份和历史。

2. 历史发展：印度的语言多样性有着深刻的历史根源，数千年来各种语言和文字不断演变。印度次大陆是众多文明的发源地，每种文明都为语言和文字的发展做出了贡献。例如，起源于古印度的梵文等文字，就演变出了几种现代文字，包括梵文、泰米尔文、泰卢固文、卡纳达文等。

3. Cultural Identity: Language and script are integral components of cultural identity for communities in India. Language is not merely a means of communication but also a repository of history, literature, and tradition. The use of distinct scripts reinforces the cultural distinctiveness of different linguistic communities.

4. Political Considerations: Language and script have been central to political movements and identity politics in India. Various linguistic communities have advocated for the preservation and promotion of their languages and scripts, often as a means of asserting cultural and political autonomy. Recognizing multiple scripts accommodates the linguistic diversity and aspirations of different communities.

3. 文化认同：语言和文字都是印度社区文化认同的组成部分。语言不仅是交流的工具，也是历史、文学和传统的宝库。不同文字的使用增强了不同语言社区的文化独特性。

4. 政治考虑：在印度，语言和文字一直是政治运动和身份政治的核心。各语言团体都主张保存和促进其语言和文字，往往以此作为主张文化和政治自治的手段。承认多种文字可以适应不同社区的语言多样性和愿望。

5. Constitutional Provisions: The Constitution of India recognizes the linguistic diversity of the country and grants official status to 22 languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, and others. Each of these languages is entitled to its own script and educational resources, ensuring linguistic rights and cultural diversity.

6. Practical Considerations: While a unified script may seem convenient for administrative purposes, imposing a single writing system on diverse linguistic communities could be linguistically and culturally insensitive. Learning and using a script are deeply intertwined with language acquisition and cultural identity. Adopting a single script for all languages could undermine linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.

5. 宪法规定：印度宪法承认该国语言的多样性，并授予22种语言的官方地位，包括印地语、孟加拉语、泰卢固语、马拉地语、泰米尔语、乌尔都语、古吉拉特语等。每种语言都有权拥有自己的文字和教育资源，以确保语言权利和文化多样性。

6. 实际考虑：虽然统一的文字似乎便于管理，但在不同的语言社区强推单一一个文字系统可能会导致语言和文化上的不敏感。学习和使用文字与语言习得和文化认同密切相关。对所有语言采用单一文字可能会破坏语言多样性和文化遗产。

In summary, the linguistic diversity and cultural richness of India have led to the proliferation of distinct writing systems, each reflecting the unique identity and history of its respective linguistic community. While a unified script may offer administrative simplicity, it would overlook the intricate tapestry of India's linguistic and cultural landscape. Recognizing and celebrating linguistic diversity remains a cornerstone of India's pluralistic society.

总之，印度语言的多样性和文化的丰富性导致了不同文字体系的激增，每一种文字体系都反映了其各自语言社区的独特身份和历史。虽然统一的文字可能有利于简化管理，但也会忽略印度语言和文化景观的复杂性。承认和庆祝语言多样性仍然是印度多元化社会的基石。

Clifford Nelson

I think I need to educate you since you assume that China uses the same writing system for all languages. It does not. The Mandarin Hanzi are each associated with a sound, and the phrases for the same object are different form different languages

Mother in Cantonese: 亞媽

Mother in Mandarin: 妈妈

Mother in Tibain: ཨ་མ།

Mother in Ughur: ئانا

It is impossible to have a different spoken language be different while the written language is the same if the written language is based on the sound of the words.

我想我得给你科普一下了，因为你认为中国所有方言都使用相同的文字体系。但事实并非如此。中文汉字中，每一个字都和一个声音相关联，在不同方言中，每一个物体的名称也是不同的。

粤语中的母亲：亞媽

普通话中的母亲：妈妈

藏语中的母亲：ཨ

维吾尔语中的母亲：ئانا

如果书面语是以单词的发音为基础，那么不可能出现方言不同而书面语相同的情况。

Ted Chyn

Before the conquest and colonization of India by the British, the Indian continent consisted of numerous small kingdoms, each with its language, customs, and religious practices. India was more of a cultural and geographical concept rather than a unified political entity. The British colonial rule, which lasted for nearly two centuries, had a profound impact on the Indian subcontinent, sha its political, economic, and social structures.

在英国征服和殖民印度之前，印度大陆是由许多小王公邦国组成的，每个邦国都有各自的语言、习俗和宗教。印度更多的是一个文化和地理方面的概念，而不是一个一统的政治实体。英国对印度的殖民统治持续了近两个世纪，对印度次大陆产生了深远的影响，塑造了印度的政治、经济和社会结构。

After gaining independence from British rule in 1947, India was partitioned into two separate nations: India and Pakistan. This division was based largely on religious lines, with Pakistan being established as a separate state for Muslims. India itself became a federal republic, with a de ocratic system of government that granted considerable autonomy to its states.

1947年印度从英国统治下获得独立后，被划分为两个独立的国家：印度和巴基斯坦。印巴分治主要是基于宗教类别，巴基斯坦成了一个独立的MSL国家，而印度成了一个联邦共和国，拥有皿煮的政府体制，赋予各邦相当大的自治权。

Even today, India remains a diverse and complex federation with a federal system of government. The country is made up of 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own distinct cultural, linguistic, and historical identity. The states have significant authority over various aspects of governance, including commerce, education, and law enforcement. This decentralized structure often leads to variations in economic development, governance effectiveness, and social progress across different regions of the country. The legacy of colonialism, along with the vast diversity of India's population and its federal structure, indeed contributes to the complexties and challenges of governance and development in the country.

时至今日，印度仍然是一个采用联邦制政府的多元复杂的联邦国。印度由28个邦和8个联邦属地组成，每个邦都有各自独特的文化、语言和历史特征。各邦在治理的各个方面都拥有重要的权力，包括商业、教育和执法。这种分散的结构往往导致印度不同地区在经济发展、治理效率和社会进步方面存在较大差异。殖民 主义的遗留问题，加上印度人口的巨大多样性以及联邦治理的政治体制，都增加了印度治理和发展的复杂性和挑战性。

Bill Zhang

It took a great king to do such revolutionary work and luckily China got many while others didn’t or don’t have.

印度需要一个伟大的国王来完成这样的革命工作，幸运的是中国历史上有很多伟大的领导人，但其他国家过去没有，现在也没有。

Mohan Kalaiselvan

Each language has prefered a script that represents their sound system the best. Having just one nation one script brings no benefit.

每种语言都喜欢最能代表其发音的文字。如果一个国家只有一种文字，不见得是什么好事。

Chen Zhigong (陳治功)

Why do all Chinese use the same writing system despite the huge varieties of languages in different regions of China?

中国不同地区的语言种类也非常繁多，但为什么所有的中国人都使用相同的文字系统？

Because Chinese script system is a logogram and a ideogram system, not a phonogram one.

I will try to make this easier to understand:

因为汉字系统是一种表意文字系统，并不是表音文字系统。

我会尽量解释得让人更容易理解：

English pronunciation : doʊnt tɝn raɪt

French pronunciation : nə tuʁnə pa a dʁwat

Spanish pronunciation : no x.ɾe a la ðɛɾetʃa

But when the 3 different speakers see this sign, they all know this means “don’t turn right”. It’s the same reason why Chinese of different dialects can use the almost same writing system. It’s because the writing system is a logogram one instead of a phonogram one, as I mentioned before.

英语发音：doʊnt tɝn raɪt

法语发音：nə tuʁnə pa a dʁwat

西班牙语发音：no x.ɾe a la ðɛɾetʃa

但是当三个不同的说话者看到这个标志时，他们都知道这个标志意味着“禁止右转”。这就是汉语中的不同方言也可以使用几乎相同的文字系统的原因。正如我之前提到的，这是因为文字系统只是一个符号系统，并不是音标系统。

Aditya Kabir

Why are there so many different writing systems in India?

为什么印度有这么多不同种类的文字呢？

Are we talking about India?

India, sir, may be just one country, but in area it is twice bigger than Western Europe.

我们说的是印度吗？

先生，印度也许确实只是一个国家，但它的面积可是西欧的两倍大呀。

Population-wise it is 1.8 times bigger than entire Europe.

就人口而言，也比整个欧洲大1.8倍。

The first city in India came 5,000 years before the first city in America.

Indian census and constitution list zero national language, 22 official languages (with 720 distinct dialects), 122 major languages, and 1599 minor languages.

Europe has mostly one language family, 23 official languages, and some 60 indigenous minority languages.

India is bigger, older and more diverse than whole continents. Why would it not have so many writing systems?

印度第一座城市的出现时间比美国的第一座城市早了5000年。

印度的人口普查和宪法说印度没有国家语言，但有22种官方语言(以及720种不同的方言)，印度还有122种主要语言和1599种次级语言。

欧洲基本上只有一个语系，23种官方语言和大约60种土著少数族群语言。

印度比整个欧洲大陆更大、更古老、更多样化。所以为什么它不能有那么多的文字体系呢？