Elements of South-Indian Palæography, from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century A.D. c6.8

c6.8

The Southern Açoka inscriptions, which, as I have already said, are alone of importance for South-Indian palæography, do not contain any numeral signs except the Khalsi inscription which has × for ‘four,’ and those recently discovered at Rūpnāth and Sahasrām which have figures for 256, but which are, probably, somewhat more recent. But there are inscriptions from Mathura, which are in nearly the same character, belonging to the first or second century A. D., *probably*, which show a well-developed system entirely distinct from that which is found in the Arianic inscription of Taxila of about the same date. In this the first three numerals are expressed by one, two and three horizontal strokes, the rest (four, etc.) have distinct figures; and there is a distinct figure for each of the orders of numbers (ten, twenty, etc.) up to one hundred which has, as well as one thousand, a sign to itself. The intermediate units are expressed by simply adding their signs; for example, ‘twenty-five’ is expressed by the sign for ‘twenty’, followed by that for ‘five’. There is not the least trace of the use of the cipher in this system. It is obviously an independent and ingenious development of much the same elements as were used in the Arianic system, but far more perfect. It is quite impossible to derive these signs from the initial letters of the words for the numbers, as they bear no resemblance at all to the Southern Açoka letters which begin the corresponding words, nor excepting the signs for ‘eight’ and ‘nine’ do they bear any resemblance to the same letters in the Kapurdigiri character; and the likeness in both these cases is very superficial. This system of numerals was used in the Cave inscriptions of Western India, and in many other parts of India during several centuries; owing to the combined researches of several scholars this system is now fully understood. The latest inscription in N. India appears to be of the fourth century¹), but nearly the same numerals occur in inscriptions of the early Vengi dynasty of Kalinga which must be referred to the fourth and fifth century, and the sign for 'ten' occurs in a Cera inscription *d.* 466 A. D. The system of numeral figures, still used by the Tamiḻ people, forms a step in advance, the distinct signs for 'ten', 'hundred' and 'thousand' only being preserved, and those for 'twenty' up to 'ninety' being discarded. Apart from this still existing system, there is no evidence as to the use of these 'Cave numerals', as they are usually termed, after the fifth century, for inscriptions with dates in figures are, as yet, wanting from that time till about the tenth century in Northern India, and till about the year 1000 A. D. in S. India²). At these dates, we find, in the respective countries, the exclusive use of numeral figures with a value according to position and the cipher; and the figures have much the same forms as are now current³), and which so closely resemble the Gobar numerals, also in use and with the same value according to position in Europe also about the eleventh century. Though it has often been asserted that the modern, or Nāgarī, numerals are mere abbreviations of the initial letters of the words denoting the corresponding numbers⁴), I think that a comparison of the later forms of the Cave numerals with them, will render it perfectly clear, that, this is not the case, but that, all the indigenous numerals used in the various parts of India are simply derived from the Cave numerals which are not, as I have already shown, derived from the initial letters of the corresponding words. This derivation is also the only one which satisfactorily explains the forms of the numerals used in the North as well as in the South of India⁵) and Java.