THE INDUS ELEPHANT SEALS The Royal Terminology of the Indus Valley Civilization

This study presents an analysis and interpretation of all known Indus texts featuring the elephant motif, contextualized within the framework of the Sindhu Alphabet. A corpus of 29 seals from the Indus Valley Civilization, depicting the elephant, was analysed using the Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions: Collections in Pakistan and India. Drawing upon an extensive review of Vedic texts, Sanskrit dictionaries, and other relevant scriptures, plausible meanings and interpretations for the associated inscriptions are proposed. These texts appear to convey royal terminology, encompassing titles, tribal identities, and aspects of administrative and clerical practices. This research aims to serve as a valuable resource for scholars, providing a foundation for further validation or constructive critique.