The earliest relic that shows humankind’s interest in language is a glossary of words prepared in Mesopotamia some 5,500 years ago. This article describes in brief the history of linguistic studies since its inception and traces it from the earliest to the 18th century. It narrates the studies related to language that were taken up in different eras and different parts of the world, such as Mesopotamia, ancient India, Iran, China, the Arab world and the West. Though today the West is way ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to linguistics, the article attempts to show that this glory could not have been achieved without the early efforts carried out by scholars in eastern parts of the world, notably India where the earliest known grammar of Sanskrit was written by Panini.