Indian Palaeography c17.s7: Sumatra

c17.s7.1

Two groups of the dated inscriptions from Sumatra have been selected here. Both represent the simplified style of the late seventh century A.D. Pl. XXI. 11 is taken from the Kedukan Bukit inscription, dated Śaka 605 (A.D. 683), and Pl. XXI. 12 is derived from the Kotakapur inscription, dated Śaka 608 (A.D. 686), the missing letters having been supplied from the Talang Tuwo inscription, dated Śaka 606 (A.D. 684). The simplified forms of *ka*, *gha*, *ra* and *la* are worth noting. *Ka* and *la* are comparable with the late forms of the Gurjara inscriptions of Western India. The broad looped base of *kha* is also derived from the same source. Undoubted Western Indian influence is observable in the following: the initial *a*, which copies the northern form in having its left hook curving to the left; the initial *ā*, which has a long vertical added to the form of *a*; the initial *i*, which has a double roof and a tail below; the initial *u*, which has its lower horizontal curved upwards; the open-mouthed type of *ṇa*; and *śa* and *sha* with full length mid-lines. The medial vowels are of seventh-century style, in which the important change is the replacement of the Pallava type of the broad curved medial *u*, as applied to *bhu*, *gu* and *tu*, by the simple form as seen in no. 12. Of the other forms of the letters we may note *ṅa*, which has a notch in its vertical, *ña*, which has also a notch in its right hook, *ḍha* with its base line extended and waved, and *na* with its loop closed. The left sides of *pa*, *sha* and *ha* are bent. On the whole the style shows a development towards simplification in which the tendency to reduce the letters to linear forms is evident.