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Indian Palaeography from about B.C. 350 to about A.D. 1300 c7.s7: § 12. — Changes in the later varieties

Indian Palaeography from about B.C. 350 to about A.D. 1300 c7.s7

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§ 12. — Changes in the later varieties

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³ Regarding the characters on the Indo-Grecian coins, see WZKM. 8, 193 f.; regarding the script of the Śaka and Kuṣana inscriptions, see J.RAS. 1863, 238, pl. 4 (where, however, in l. 1 the second *ch* must be deleted, in l. 2 *sa* must be substituted for *si*, and *tha* for *ṭṭ*, and in l. 3 *rya* for *rś*, and the signs for *sy* in l. 4 are doubtful), and O. Franke, ZDMG. 50, 602 ff.

A. — The radical signs

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(1) The meaningless upward stroke connected with the foot of the verticals occurs only occasionally on the Indo-Grecian coins (7, VI; 20, VI; 36, VI). More frequently it appears detached to the left of the signs, as in *A* (1, VI), and even with *ha* (37, VI). A cursive substitute is the very common dot, as in *ha* (37, VII); compare also *ma* (29, VII). Finally, various letters, like *ta* (20, VII) and *na* (24, VII), receive on the Indo-Grecian coins a horizontal base-line (see above, § 11, A, 1). In the variety of the Śaka period, the ends of the verticals shew sometimes a meaningless hook, as in *ca* (10, VIII) and in *sa* (36, IX), or a straight stroke on the right, as in *ṣi* (35, VIII). The same hook appears also in the cursive script of the Kuṣana period (*ṣa*, 35, X), or a horizontal stroke to the left, as in *A* (1, XI), *ka* (6, X), *dha* (23, XI), *na* (24, XII), *bi* (27, XI), *ya* (30, X), as well as curves both to the right and left, as in *kha* (7, X), *ca* (10, XII), *dhi* (16, XI), *ghi* (9, X), *ba* (27, X), *mi* (29, XI), where the curve has been added to the vowel-stroke.

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(2) In the Śaka and Kuṣana varieties, the head of *ka* is commonly converted into a curve (6, VIII), and in the Kuṣana variety this curve is connected with the side-limb of *ka* (see 6, X). — (3) In all the later varieties, the top of *kha* is made longer and curved to the right (7, VI—XI; 39, XIV).

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(4) In the Śaka type, we have a cursive form of *ca*; derived from 10, III, in which the left end of the lower portion of the sign is attached to the short vertical below the top. Similar, still more cursive, forms are common in the Kuṣana variety; see 10, X, and XII. — (5) All the later varieties show the *cha* without the cross-bar, and the vertical is occasionally made to slant so that the sign looks like *mo*. — (6) In the later varieties, the left side-limb of *ja* is nearly always rounded, and in the Kuṣana variety the head of the sign often consists of a shallow curve, from the left end of which the vertical hangs down (12, XI). Hence is developed the looped *ja* (12, XII) of the Bimāran vase. The full *ja* with the bar across or to the left of the foot occurs on the Indo-Grecian coins (12, VII). — (7) In all the later varieties, one side of *ña* invariably shows a vertical (14, VIII, IX).

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(8) The only known *ṭa* of the Śaka period in the ligature *ṣṭe* (22, XIII) shows the archaic form with one bar on the left; compare 15, III. In the Kuṣana variety, the two bars to the right and left (15, I) are converted into a straight line, whereby *ṭa* becomes *tha* (15, X—XII). The small strokes at the top of *ṭu* (15, XI) are, as FLEET's impression of the Suë Bihār inscription shows, due to rents in the copper. The correct reading of the word, in which it occurs, is *kuṭubini* instead of *kichubini* (HOERNLE). — (9) In all [29] the later varieties, *ṭha* (16, VIII, X, XI) loses the hook at the end of the second bar.

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(10) On the Indo-Grecian coins, *ta* (20) is very similar to *ra*; in the Śaka inscriptions it is only one-third of the size of *ra*, and in the Kuṣana variety the two letters are again very similar. — (11) The Śaka *da* of *do* (22, IX) is derived from the form 22, II, while the signs 22, VIII, and X, come from the ordinary *da* of the Aśoka edicts. The Kuṣana form (22, XI) shows an inverted curve at the head.

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(12) The inscription of Gondopherres, and some coins of that king and of Azilises (P. GARDNER, Cat. Ind. C. Br. Mus. p. 94, No. 22), show — the first in the king's name — a peculiar sign (26, X) usually read *pha*, but possibly meant for *ja*, as O. FRANKE proposes *ZDMG*. 50, 603. — (13) In the Kuṣana variety, the right end of the horizontal top of *bha* is occasionally connected with the vertical (28, X), and sometimes the top-stroke is connected with the side-limb, just as in *ku* (6, XI). — (14) The fuller *ma* (29, VI) is common on the Indo-Grecian coins, and for its slanting stroke the later coins often show a dot (29, VII). In the *ma* of the Śaka and Kuṣana varieties (29, IX, XII) *ma* is laid on its side, the right part of the semicircle rises high up, and the left is bent downwards: compare the late *mam* (33, XIII).

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(15) In the Kuṣana inscriptions, *ya* often becomes a curve or rhombus-like figure, open below (30, XI, XII). — (16) In the later varieties, the left limb of *la* (32, VIII, X) is invariably round, and in the Kuṣana type it is often attached to the top of the vertical (32, XI, XII). — (17) In later times, the head of *va* (33, VIII, X) is invariably rounded.

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(18) Equally, *śa* (34, VIII, X) is often made round and similar to *ya*. — (19) In later times, *sa* (36, VII—XI) invariably loses the line connecting the left side of the head with the tail, and the new form becomes in the Kuṣana inscriptions often highly cursive; see 36, XII.

B. — Medial vowels and Anusvāra

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(1) Medial *i* often crosses the vertical low down; see I (2, VII, VIII, X), *di* (22, XI), *ni* (24, XI), &c.; and in the Kuṣana variety it gets a hook in *mi* (29, XI). Medial *o* likewise is occasionally attached low down to the vertical, see *ro* (31, XI); *ho* (37, XII).

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(2) The *e*-stroke stands in *E* invariably on the right of the *A* (4, VI—VIII), and it may sink down as low as the foot. The short stroke is then converted into a long bent line (4, X, XII) or receives a hook at the end (4, XI). Occasionally *e* stands also at the foot of other letters, as in *śe* (34, IX, Mathurā lion-capital).

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(3) On the Indo-Grecian coins, medial *u* keeps its old form; but in *ju* (12, VII) the stroke rises upwards on account of the base-line of *ja*, likewise in *pu* (25, VII) on account of the bend in the *pa*. In later times, *u* is represented by a curve or a loop, as in. *U* (3, VIII), *ku* (6, XI), *khu* (7, XI), &c.; in *mu* (29, IX, XII), the curve opens to the right.

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(4) The Anusvāra is marked by a *ma*, laid on its side, which either is connected with its *mātṛkā*, as in *Aṃ* (1, VII), *Iṃ* (2, VII), *ṭhiṃ* (16, XI), or stands separate to the left, as in *yaṃ* (30, VII), or may be placed below (see *mahaṃtasa* in the Taxila copper-plate, line 1).

C. — Ligatures

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(1) The ligatures of the Indo-Grecian coins, such as *kra* (6, VII), *khre* (39, XIV), *stra* (38, XIV), and those of the Śaka inscriptions, *ṣṭe* (22, XIII), *khsa* (25, XIII), *sta* (23, XIII), show only small changes. The same remark applies to the ligatures on the coins of the Śakas and the older Kuṣaṇas, where, however, some new groups appear, such as *psa* (26, XIII), *rma* (28, XIII; compare the shape of *ma* in P. GARDNER, op. cit., pl. 25, 1, 2), *śpa* (29, XIII), which has been mostly misread *spa* on account of the Greek Spalyrises, *śva* (30, XIII) with the *va* turned into a curve (see above, § 11, C, 4), and the doubtful representative of *Jphi* (27, XIII) in *Kadphises*, the upper part of which is plainly *pi*, while the lower one does not correspond to any known letter.

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(2) Among the ligatures of the cursive Kuṣaṇa inscriptions, some, like *gra* (8, XI), *bhra* (28, XII), exactly agree with the archaic forms, and [30] during this period we still find even the old *vra* (*rva*) (39, I) in the word *sarva*. The ligatures *tva* (31, XIII), *tśa* (32, XIII), often misread as *tsa*, *ṣka* (35, XIII), and *ṣṭa* (36, XIII), show the new Kuṣaṇa forms of the component parts. But the *sa* of *sva* (37, XIII) is badly mutilated, and the loops of *rya* (34, XIII), *rva* (33, XII), *sya* (35, XII), and *sya* (36, XII)¹ are new cursive formations. In all words where one would expect *sta*, the Kuṣaṇa inscriptions show *tha* (16, X, XI). Probably the omission of the bar on the right (compare 23, XIII) is merely cursive, and the sign has to be read both *tha* and *sta*, as the case may require. The MS. of the Dhammapada has both signs.

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¹ O. FRANKE, op. cit. 604, proposes to read this *ssa*; but compare 35, XIII, which can be only *ṣya*.

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III. THE ANCIENT BRAHMI AND DRAVIDI FROM ABOUT B. C. 350 TO ABOUT A. D. 350.

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