Indian Palaeography c15.s2.14

c15.s2.14

(ii) *The new types of the medial vowels.* The important change in the medial vowels is seen in the use of the ornamental forms, as given above. Here the pen style is clearly marked, not only in the thick and thin lines but also in the long flourishes either at the top of the letters or at the sides. The general forms are taken from both the Kushāṇa and the local systems. In the Kushāṇa style the slanting strokes of *ā* and *e* or the curved forms of *i* and *ī* lend themselves to easy flourishes. A special form is the twisted stroke of *e*, which is first seen in the eastern region¹ as early as the Susunia rock inscription of Chandravarman. The ornamentation in the inscriptions of the Magadha Maukharis is not so prominent. It should also be remembered that the simpler forms persist optionally. In the Amauna inscription only the simpler forms are found. The special curled form of the medial *ī* is to be seen in the inscriptions of the Kanauj Maukharis.