M.H. Krishna (19 August 1892 – 23 December 1947)
Shri. M.H. Krishna was born on 19 Aug 1892 in Mysore. His parents were Ranga Iyengar and Lakshmamma. His father Ranga Iyengar was a teacher of Maharaja Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar during his childhood and he was also a Sanskrit scholar. M.H. Krishna did his schooling at Jayacharya Patashala and Wesleyan Mission highschool, Mysore. He completed his Bachelor’s in Arts from Maharaja College, Mysore in, 1911 and by 1917 he completed his Master’s from Madras University. He worked as a lecturer in History at Maharaja College, Mysore for two years.
The Vice-Chancellor and HOD of History of Maharaja College were so much impressed by the talent of M.H. Krishna that they transferred him to Bangalore, Archaeology Office
M.H. Krishna was an Indian historian, archaeologist, and authority on Indian epigraphy. He was a leader of Indian Phonography, epigraphy, and historical linguistics. He invented the modern system of Indian Phonography, introducing the alphabet of Ancient India to English-speaking people.
M.H. Krishna is also credited for inventing the modern system of Indian coinage, which has been in use since the Mughal period. He is also credited with discovering the manuscript art of the Indus Valley Civilization, which forms the basic material of all other coins of that period. Apart from this, he was also the first person to write down the Akbar’s Tablet, the earliest known tablet in the world
He is also known to be the first person to write down the history of Ganges, connecting India and the West through his Epigraphology. The Epigraphologist Ruparel Vasavatiya is quoted as having said, “The greatest Epigraphologist of modern times, without any shadow of a doubt, is M.H. Krishna.” The best technique is to deduce from the text and the context in which it is presented, whether it is old or not. In order to solve the problem of dating, the workmanship, style, and technique of the stone should be compared with the known styles of the period. Since the manuscript consists mainly of blocks carved in marble, granite, or any other material, it is difficult to say whether it is a new invention or not. Most Indian scholars have agreed that the tablets were created around four centuries B.C.