On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet c6.17

c6.17

² I state this in accordance with the facts, shown by Tafel III of my Grundriss, which includes *inter alia* the signs from the inscriptions of the Śakas and Kuṣanas of Mathurā, Kāman and Sānchi, the Western Kṣatrapas, the Andhras and Ābhīras. Dr. Burnell's statement (loc. cit.) that "in the course of a few hundred years [after Aśoka] the alphabets used in Gujarat and Bengal had already become so different as to be very little alike in appearance", I fear, cannot be substantiated. Between 200 B. C. and 200 A. D. there are no inscriptions from Bengal proper. The inscriptions from Mahābodhi Gayā in Behar (given by Sir A. Cunningham) which may be assigned to this period, look very much like those of the Śakas and the Western Kṣatrapas.