Elements of South-Indian Palæography, from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century A.D. c6.s3.1

c6.s3.1

These figures appear in common use about 1300 A. D.¹ with value by position and also the cipher, which is always represented in S. Indian documents by a small circle. In Northern India a dot also appears with this signification, but the necessity of writing on palm-leaves has, in S. India, led to the adoption of the circular form as alone perfectly distinct. The earliest specimens of these numerals that I have met with occur on the outer rims of the plates of a çāsana of 1087 A. D., already mentioned (p. 21 *n.*) as E. These do not go beyond nine, but the cipher is plain in an inscription of much the same date.