The correct answer is A. James Princep.
James Prinsep (1799-1840) was a British scholar and linguist who was the first to decipher the Brahmi script. He was born in India to a Scottish father and an Indian mother. He learned several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Persian, and Bengali. In 1837, he was appointed to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, where he worked on deciphering the Brahmi script. He was able to decipher the script by comparing it to other Indian scripts, such as the Kharosthi script. He also used his knowledge of Sanskrit to help him decipher the Brahmi script.
Prinsep’s decipherment of the Brahmi script was a major breakthrough in the study of Indian history. It allowed scholars to read and understand ancient Indian inscriptions, which provided valuable information about Indian history and culture.
B. V. Smith was a British archaeologist who worked in India. He was not the first to decipher the Brahmi script.
C. R. K. Mehta was an Indian archaeologist who worked in India. He was not the first to decipher the Brahmi script.
D. None of these is the correct answer.