[Query] Was Sanskrit ever spoken by "all"?

[RAJAGOPALANM at HARPO.TNSTATE.EDU]

Dear Srini,
Sanskrit was spoken in early days by the masses . The internal evidebce is seen in the fact that in many temples in north 
India there are many inscriptions in Sanskrit. There are not many temples
in north India with inscription in other languages like Bengali etc in
north India which are at least a thousand years old. Furthur reference
to sanskrit being a commonly spoken language exists in many sanskrit
and other writings. Recently also it was published in newspapers in India that
some common people in assam in India speak sanskrit. These are indications
that sanskrit was a spoken language at one time.One reason for its
disuse is the loss of political power by hindus to non- hindu people for
a long time and the effect of their occupation of the hindu kingdoms.
Even now we see that many youngsters cannot speak their native indian
language because they are sent to english speaking
schools when they are young and the parents speak to them in english 
so that they can get a job outside india when they grow up.
M.Rajagopalan < rajagopalanm at harpo.tnstate.edu>


> From P.Friedlander at wellcome.ac.uk 27 96 Feb EST 14:03:00
Date: 27 Feb 96 14:03:00 EST
From: P.Friedlander at wellcome.ac.uk
Subject: re: UniCode
Reply-To: P.Friedlander at wellcome.ac.uk
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

I am wondering about using UniCode compliant software for 
Hindi/Sanskrit/Panjabi.
Does anyone have experience of using Gamma's UniType software for these 
languages and if so what do they think of them. Or do you know of any othe 
UniCode compliant software for these languages? All comments would be very 
welcome.
Dr Peter G. Friedlander
Cataloguer of Hindi and Panjabi Manuscripts
Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BN
England
e-mail: P.Friedlander at wellcome.ac.uk