Indian Palaeography c15.s7.7

c15.s7.7

(c) The Malwa variety of the fifth century A.D. is represented by Pl. XV. 3, taken from the Mandasor inscription of Naravarman, dated in the Mālava (Vikrama) year 461, and from the Tumain inscription of Ghaṭotkacha Gupta, dated in the (Gupta) year 116. These inscriptions show a further development of the style known in the fourth century A.D. in this region. The letter-forms preserve the southern character and they are indistinguishable from those described in B IV (a) (ii),¹ except for the head-marks, which are different in the two groups. The forms of the medial vowels are also identical. The initial vowels emphasize their southern character by having the form of *a* with a hook at the left limb, the root-type of *i*, and the form of *e* with a stem. *Ta* is optionally of the Gujarat form with a vertical on the right and an angular hook on the left—a form which later persisted in the proto-Nāgarī of the Rāshtrakūṭas. The square head-mark is small in size. It is regularly given in the Tumain inscription, but in the Mandasor inscription it is transformed into a thick horizontal in many cases. It is found over all the letters except *i*, *kha*, *ja*, *ṇa*, *tha*, *ba* and *śa*. After the fifth century the square head-mark is no longer seen in this region.