Indian Palaeography from about B.C. 350 to about A.D. 1300 c7.s6.t1: A. — The radical signs
Indian Palaeography from about B.C. 350 to about A.D. 1300 c7.s6.t1
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A. — The radical signs
c7.s6.t1.1
(1) [**26**] A small stroke, rising upwards at an acute angle, may be added at the foot of every letter ending with a straight or slanting line, in order to mark its end (plate I, 1, II; 6, II, V; 7, II; 8, II; &c). If a letter ends with two slanting lines, like *ya* and *śa* (34, II), the upstroke may be added to the left. In the Aśoka edicts of Mansehra, *ḍa* receives instead occasionally a straight base-stroke (18, V).
c7.s6.t1.2
(2) *Ca* has three varieties, (*a*) head with obtuse angle (10, I, II, IV); (*b*) head with curve (10, V); (*c*) head with curve, connected by a vertical with the lower part (10, III). — (3) The head of *cha* is likewise sometimes angular (11, I, IV) and sometimes round (11, II), and loses occasionally the cross-bar below the head, as in the later types. — (4) The full form of *ja* occurs at least once in Shāhbāzgarhī (12, I, V) and oftener in Mansehra, where once (edict V, l. 24) the bar stands to the left of the foot. The left side-stroke of *ja* is often curved (12, III). — (5) In *ña*, the second shortened *na* (see above, § 9, B, 3) is sometimes added on the right (14, I, V) and sometimes on the left (14, III, IV). Occasionally, the right side of the letter is converted cursively into a vertical, as in the later inscriptions (14, IX).
c7.s6.t1.3
(6) The normal form of *ṭa* is that of 15, I, II; but the bar on the left stands occasionally lower than that on the right (15, V; 38, II), or both bars stand on the left (38, VI), or the bar on the right is omitted (commonly in Mansehra) (15, III).
c7.s6.t1.4
(7) *Ta* (20) is mostly shorter and broader than *ra* (31), and either its two lines are of equal length, or the vertical one is shorter. Forms like 20, V, are rare. — (8) *Di* (22, II) shows twice, in Shāhbāzgarhī edict IV, l. 8, and Mansehra edict VII, l. 33 (where the transcript in ZDMG. has erroneously *dri*), a curve to the right of the foot, which is probably nothing but an attempt to clearly distinguish *da* from *na*. — (9) *Dha* with the left end turned upwards (23, V) is rare and a secondary development (see above, § 9, B, 1). In the abnormal *dha* of 38, VIII (*dhra*), from Mansehra, the second bar is a substitute for a very sharp bend to the left (23, V). — (10) The *na* with the bent head (24, III) occurs not rarely in the syllable *ne*.
c7.s6.t1.5
(11) The greatly mutilated *ma* (29, I) is more common than the forms with remnants of the old pendant (compare above, § 9, A, No. 12). It appears invariably in connection with vowel signs and owes its existence to such combinations.
c7.s6.t1.6
(12) *La* with a curve on the left, as in the later inscriptions (32, VIII), is rare in the Aśoka edicts, but occurs in Mansehra edict VI, l. 29.
c7.s6.t1.7
(13) The cursively rounded *śa* of 34, III, is rare; but once, in Shāhbāzgarhī edict XIII, l. 1, appears a *śa* hardly distinguishable from *ya*. — (14) The *sa* with a triangular head (36, II), and that with a rounded head (36, I, III, IV), are cursive developments from the old polygonal form (36, V). The vertical stroke of *sa* is occasionally omitted, as in Mansehra [27] edict VI, l. 27.
c7.s6.t1.8
(15) The common forms of *ha* with a curve (37, I, IV) or a short hook (37, III, V) at the foot, are cursive developments of the *ha* of 37, II; see above, § 9, A, No. 5.