Indian Palaeography from about B.C. 350 to about A.D. 1300 c7.s16.10

c7.s16.10

wide territory north of the Narmadā, with the exception of Kāthiāvāḍ and northern Gujarāt, and which, spreading in the course of time more and more, finally is used in a number of varieties for nearly all the Aryan languages of India. Their origin is to be found in the cursive forms, which first appear in the addition to the Aśoka edict VI. of Dhauli, and in a number of signs of the Kālsī version (see above, page 6 f.), and later are found, occasionally or constantly, in some of the Jaina votive inscriptions of the Kuṣana period (see above, § 19, A). Their general type is that of a cursive alphabet with signs reduced at the top to the same height, and made throughout, as much as possible, equal in breadth. As the occurrence of ancient MSS. and various peculiarities of the letters, such as the formation of wedges out of the *Serifs* at the ends of the verticals, clearly prove, they were always written with a pen or a brush and ink. Their most important common characteristics are: — (1) The absence of curves at the lower ends of the verticals of *A*, *Ā*, *ka*, *ña*, &c. (with occasional exceptions for *ra*); (2) the use of the *Serif* at the left down-strokes of *kha*, *ga*, and *śa*; (3) the division of the original vertical of *ṇa* and of its upper bar; (4) the use of a looped *na* and of a *ta* without a loop; (5) the transformation of the lower portion of *ma* into a small knob or loop attached to the left of the letter; (6) the shortening of the vertical of *la*; (7) the turn of the medial *i* to the left, which is soon followed by the twist of medial *ī* to the right; (8) the development of curves, open to the left, at the end of the originally horizontal medial *u*; and (9) the use of a curve, open to the right, for medial *ṛ*.