Indian Palaeography c18.s4.t1: 1. Aśokan Rock Edicts

Indian Palaeography c18.s4.t1

Language: English

c18.s4.t1.6 — 6 parts

1. Aśokan Rock Edicts

c18.s4.t1.1

Pl. XXIII. 1 is taken from the rock edicts of Aśoka found at Mansehra in Hazara district and Shahbazgarhi in the Peshawar district, West Pakistan. Round features predominate in the letter-forms, though angularity is by no means absent. It is possible that the emphasis on angularity in some letters is due to the nature of the engraver's technique. As already noticed, an upward slant at the lower end of the long verticals on the left is usually seen in some letters. This will be henceforward called the foot-mark. This foot-mark has been observed only in the case of the initial *a* and some of those consonants which have the medial *a* implicit in them. Rapson² argues that it may stand for the long *ā*. But such a foot-mark is also seen in the late Brāhmī inscriptions of North India³ and in the documents from Chinese Turkestan, where it is quite clear that it is due to the pen style. In these documents we have a separate sign for the long *ā*. Therefore this foot-mark cannot be taken for *ā* in the Aśokan inscriptions.

c18.s4.t1.2

² *Kharoṣṭhī Inscriptions*, pt. iii, p. 299, n. 1.

c18.s4.t1.3

³ See above, p. 149.

c18.s4.t1.4

The initial *a* is of the fish-hook type, with the upper hook rounded or angular. The long vertical sometimes has the foot-mark. The other initial vowels do not have the foot-mark at all. The initial *i* has an additional sloping stroke across its head. The initial *u* has a stroke, either straight or slanting, added to the left bottom of the long vertical. The initial *e* has a head stroke on the top of the round curve. Another form of *e* with a horizontal stroke on the right of the vertical, as shown by C. C. Dasgupta,⁴ is not found at this time, but is seen in later inscriptions. The initial *o* has a stroke falling from the lower half of the vertical on the left. The *anusvāra* added to *a* takes the form of the miniature *ma*, appended at the end of the vertical, or just above the end. The medial vowels have diacritic marks similar to those of the initials. Minor differences are discussed along with the consonants.

c18.s4.t1.5

⁴ *Kharoṣṭhī Script*, pl. I. 4. 2.

c18.s4.t1.6.1

There is only one form of *ka*, a straight vertical with a line stroke on the top left and an angular hook facing downwards on the right just below the upper end. Variation is seen in this form according to the writer’s preference for the round or angular shape, or because of the foot-mark. *Kha* apparently has two forms: the first resembles the form of the capital ‘G’ minus the short horizontal with its upper hood drawn forward, and in the second form the hood of this ‘G’-form is missing. Actually in the second example the curve of the letter is straightened and drawn at an angle, and hence the difference between the two forms is merely stylistic. However, even in the later inscriptions this stylistic difference is kept up. The foot-mark is also occasionally seen. The stroke of the medial *o* runs parallel to the lower vertical. *Ga* has an upper hook which makes a loop when joined to the vertical. Variation is seen according to the writer’s preference for the round or angular form, or in the presence of a foot-mark. The stroke of the medial *e* in *ge* is applied in the middle of the hook. *Gha* has an extra stroke added to the right of the form of *ga*. This is either a slant hanging down from the loop or an angular hook added to the vertical on the right. *Cha* consists of an upper curve standing on the fish-hook type of leg. The upper curve and the fish-hook are sometimes angular, and if there is any space left between the two a bar is added to link them.

c18.s4.t1.6.2

Sometimes the fish-hook assumes the form of a lower curve. The foot-mark is sometimes seen. Fundamentally there is no difference in the actual form, and the variation is due to the manner of drawing a given shape. *Chha* has the upper curve on a vertical which is cut by a cross bar. We find another letter formed from this *chha*. In this case the cross bar is missing. Bühler read this form as *chha*, while Hultzsch and Konow in their readings took it for the conjunct *ksha*. Though the latter reading is justified by the context, it is not warranted by the form. In this form we must recognize a new sound coming closer to *chha*, which probably stood in this region for *ksha*. Hence I transliterate it as *chh’a*.¹ *Ja* is a vertical at an incline, with an oblique stroke to the left of the vertical at its upper side. This oblique stroke is sometimes curved. The long vertical also shows a foot-mark. C. C. Dasgupta¹ gives another variety of *ja* with a horizontal line added to the lower end of the vertical. This type is indistinctly seen in Mansehra R.E. V, line 19, R.E. VIII, line 35, and R.E. XII, line 1, but a careful observation shows that this horizontal stroke is nothing but the engraver's attempt at giving the foot-mark. We have no example of *jha* in the Aśokan inscriptions. *Ña* appears to be derived from *ja* or from the possible form of *jha*. In this case the strokes above the stem of *ja* are both bent.

c18.s4.t1.6.3

The bend over the vertical resembles the form of *na*, and hence Bühler believed that *ña* was actually double *na*. But the form as seen in Pl. XXIII*a*. 8–10 is derivable from the form of *jha* as seen in Pl. XXIII*a*. 11. This later form of *ña* is occasionally seen in the Aśokan inscriptions (e.g. Shahbazgarhi, R.E. I–III), with only this difference, that the vertical is below the right bend instead of the left. Stylistically we can distinguish two varieties of *ña*, one in which the left bend is a variation of the oblique stroke, and the other in which this bend is broadened. *Ṭa* consists of a vertical with a horizontal on either side, the left one towards its upper half and the right one towards the lower half. Sometimes the right stroke is missing, and occasionally a foot-mark is seen. *Ṭha* has two strokes on the upper left of the vertical. It is due to Boyer and Rapson² that we are now able to recognize the form of *ṭh\textsuperscripta*, which is made by adding a short vertical to the end of the lower horizontal of *ṭha*. *Ḍa* resembles the form of *ṭh\textsuperscripta* but with the upper horizontal stroke dropped. *Ḍha* has a horizontal stroke standing on a vertical, which sometimes has the foot-mark. The forms of *ṇa* and *na* are very close. *Na* consists of a vertical with a bent top, and *ṇa* extends the curve of the bend to the right. The foot-mark is also seen in both these letters.

c18.s4.t1.6.4

*Ta* has a horizontal stroke with a short vertical at either end, the left one going upwards and the right downwards. Very rarely the horizontal is inclined and the verticals slightly bent. The foot-mark is occasionally seen. *Tha* is a cross with its lower vertical slightly prolonged. In a number of places the lower vertical of *tha* has an oblique stroke added on the right. Hultzsch reads it as *thra*, but this oblique stroke is a diacritic mark and is to be distinguished from *ra* in a conjunct. Hence this letter should be read as *th\textsuperscripta*. *Da* resembles the form of *ta* but its horizontal dips towards the right and the two verticals are curved. *Dha* is actually a cursive form of *da* with its lower vertical prolonged and an extra horizontal stroke added to the top. The foot-mark is occasionally seen. *Pa* consists of a vertical with a hook on the right at the upper end. The variation is marked according to whether the hook is curved or angular, or drawn at an angle to the vertical. The foot-mark is also seen. *Pha* has an extra stroke added to the form of *pa*. *Ba* resembles the form of *ta* but the horizontal has its right end tilted upwards and the right vertical is slightly prolonged. *Bha* shows many variations. The main form consists of a vertical with a top horizontal stroke and an angular hook at its lower half on the right.

c18.s4.t1.6.5

This hook is occasionally curved, and at times the vertical is inclined, with the right hook taking the form of a sloping stroke. The foot-mark is also seen. *Ma* is a semi-circle with its mouth upwards. C. C. Dasgupta,¹ following Bühler, gives variant forms of *ma*, which has either a straight or curved line on the left side of this semi-circle. These forms have been given according to the reading of Hultzsch. But there is no justification for these separate lines unless they stand for diacritic marks. However, a close examination of the words in which they are seen makes it clear that the reading is not above doubt. In Shahbazgarhi R.E. VIII and XIII these lines are seen in the word read as *nama*, but *ma* in other words does not have this line. In Shahbazgarhi R.E. XII, line 2 it is seen in the word *mañati*, and in Shahbazgarhi R.E. VI, line 16 in the word *parakramatu*. A comparison with the other words where lines are seen in *ma* suggests that the actual reading should be *namaṁ*, *maṁñati*, and *parakramaṁtu*. The real difficulty faced by the writers was in distinguishing *mma* and *ṁma*, and hence these attempts were made. Subsequently we shall see that the hook became the usual form for the *anusvāra*. *Ya* consists of two oblique lines meeting at an angle upwards. The foot-mark is occasionally given only at the left leg. The *anusvāra* is indicated by upward slants, one at each leg. The medial *e* in *ye* is added to the top of the left leg.

c18.s4.t1.6.6

*Ra* resembles the form of *ta* with its lower vertical extended farther. The *anusvāra* is sometimes indicated only by a short horizontal line below the lower vertical of *ra*. *La* is exactly the reverse of *pa*. Here the hook is added to the left of the vertical. The variation occurs in the position of the hook. either at an acute or at a right angle to the vertical, and in the presence or absence of a foot-mark. *Va* has a short horizontal stroke added towards the left at the upper end of a vertical. The palatal *śa* has a vertical falling from either end of a horizontal line. The foot-mark is seen only at the left vertical, and the *anusvāra* is applied in the same way as in *ya*. The cerebral *sha* assumes the form of an open umbrella, while dental *sa* has a tailed head on a stem. *Ha* is the reverse of the Roman ‘S’. Here the lower curve is sometimes straightened.

c18.s4.t1.7

¹ See remark by Rapson, *Kharoṣṭhī Inscriptions*, pt. iii, p. 302.

c18.s4.t1.8

¹ *Kharoṣṭhī Script*, pl. I, 13. 2, 3.

c18.s4.t1.9

² *Kharoṣṭhī Inscriptions*, pt. iii, p. 304.

c18.s4.t1.10

¹ *Kharoṣṭhī Script*, pl. I, 30. 2–5.

c18.s4.t1.11

In the conjuncts, where the lower ends of the verticals have some other strokes, the *anusvāra* is given in the middle of the vertical, as in *kraṁ* and *vraṁ*. As we have seen, the system of forming conjuncts is the same as in Brāhmī, though the cursive forms are found here more frequently, as in *mma*, *mya* and *bhye*. When *ra* is the second element of the conjunct, it is shown by a horizontal line on the right at the lower end of the vertical, as in *tra*, *dra*, *kraṁ*, *pri*, *śru* and *vraṁ*, but when it is the first element, the usual form is shown cursively in the middle of the vertical. The form of *va* in *tva* is very cursively drawn. Similarly *sa* in *spa* shows only its upper tail. The most difficult conjunct to recognize is *sti*, in which *sa* is shown only by a horizontal line.