Indian Palaeography c15.s8.t1.11

c15.s8.t1.11

The Chālukyas obtained their styles of writing from three different sources. Their earliest inscriptions adopt the style seen in those of the Kadambas. Later in the seventh century they borrowed two styles from the Gurjaras of Broach—one having square head-marks (Pl. XV. 9), already described,¹ and the other the usual Gurjara style, as may be seen in Pl. XVI. 6, which is taken from the Nerur plates of Vijayabhaṭṭārikā, of about the middle of the seventh century A.D. The forms in these plates are exactly of the type known from the Gurjara inscriptions, except that the medial vowels sometimes follow the Chālukyan system. Hence no detailed description of this writing is given here. Finally, towards the end of the seventh century A.D., we find a new style developing, which may be termed proto-Kannadi. The Rāshtrakūṭas adopted this last style of writing in their inscriptions. In all these Chālukyan styles the line head-mark is prominently given.