Indian Palaeography c15.s7.9.1

c15.s7.9.1

(d) *Vākāṭaka inscriptions*. The Vākāṭakas were mainly responsible for developing this Deccani style of writing. All their inscriptions are written in this style, except the Poona copper plate which has hollow triangular head-marks.² Wherever their rule extended, this style spread, and it is found in their inscriptions as far south as Ajanta. Wherever the influence of the Vākāṭakas reached, their writing had its effect on that of later dynasties. We notice its influence in the inscriptions of the Gurjaras of Broach,³ those of the Western Chālukyas, of the Kadambas, of the Pallavas, of the Madharas, and of the Gaṅgas of Kaliṅga. Within their own kingdom the style had different varieties. (i) The earliest variety is seen in the stone inscription of Vindhyaśakti at Nachne ki Talai (Fleet, nos. 53–54). It has hollow square head-marks, but the letter-forms are not yet affected by angular features. Morphologically the inscription appears to be earlier than the Eran pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta. (ii) The hollow square heads lead on to the hollow triangle, and we have the Poona copper plate of Prabhāvatī Guptā in this type. This inscription and others similar have already been described. (iii) The next variety is of the solid square type. It is illustrated in Pl. XV. 4, taken mainly from the Chakmak copper plate of Pravarasena II. It is this particularly solid square type that is copied in the inscriptions of the neighbouring kings.