Q. Who among the following has been attempted to read the script as containing a preindo-Aryan language of the Indo-European family?
Answer: SR Rao
Notes: S.R. Rao, one of India’s pioneering archaeologists, theorized that the undeciphered Indus script likely represents an Early Indo-European language, more specifically of Indo-Iranian branch, originating before the influx of Indo-Aryan speakers associated with Vedic India. This hypothesis assumes demographic continuity rather than mass displacement between Indus and subsequent Indian populations. Rao’s proposed readings remain unproven though influences between Harappan and Rigvedic cultures have been suggested based on materials, rituals, and ideology.