Indian Palaeography c15.s8.t1.2

c15.s8.t1.2

(i) Pl. XVI. 1 is taken from the Maḷvalli inscription of Śiva-khaḍḍavaṁman. The writing bears a close similarity to that of the earlier Sātavāhana inscription on this pillar. One fundamental difference is that the head-mark in this inscription is not generally given, but in some letters, as in *bha*, it appears as a small solid square. The medial vowels are of the same type in both the inscriptions. The medials *ā*, *e* and *o* are horizontal strokes, the medial *ā* in *mā* and *lā* being placed in the middle of the letters. The medial *ai* is two back strokes. The medial *i* is a top stroke with a curled end, and the medial *ī* has an additional prominence, but the upper curl is not so well marked. The medial *u* is a curved stroke. The initial *a* is of the same type with a hook at the left limb and the right vertical curved at the lower end. The initial *u* has its base slightly turned up. The initial *e* now has a stem. A unique form of *ṛi* is met here. It appears to have been derived from the form of the initial *a*, of which the left hook is assimilated into a loop on this side and the right limb extends its curve upwards with an additional curved stroke on the inner side of this right vertical. The verticals of *ka*, *ra*, and *la* have curved ends. The fish-hook type of *kha* has now an additional arm attached to the bottom left of its long vertical. *Ga* is found with both angular and rounded top. *Cha* is of the broad type. *Ja* has three arms on the right of a vertical. *Ḍa* and *da* have angular backs. The bases of *ṇa* and *na* are now bent at an angle. *Ta* still has the angular form, but *tha* has now a short mid-line in place of the dot. *Dha* has its left arm curved. The left sides of *pa*, *ba*, and *ha* are bent in the middle. *Bha* is of the broad type with a notch in the middle. The lower loop of *ma* is generally triangular. *Ya* is tripartite, but does not have a loop on its left arm. *Va* has a loop attached to a vertical on the right, and *sa* has a hook on the left. The developments seen in some of the letters clearly point to a late date for the inscription, somewhere in the fourth century a.d., and if the square head-marks seen in some of the letters are intentional, it may have to be placed in the second half of that century.