Indian Palaeography c14.3

c14.3

*New approach* The materials have in the past been studied from the point of view of the ruling dynasties, and various styles of writing have been labelled Kushāṇa, Western Kshatrapa, Śātavāhana, or Gupta. This approach is understandable, as the materials available for study have been mainly the inscriptions of kings belonging to these dynasties. But with the varied inscriptions at our disposal this approach is no longer necessary, as it limits our vision and leaves many important varieties unexplained. What is essential is to discover the different styles of writing as revealed in the inscriptions, to locate them in space and time, and to follow their movements. On this basis the inscriptions of a given region will be classified and analysed, and the materials obtained will be compared with those of the other regions in order to discover interconnexion.