Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s16.t3: 2.16.3 Chronological classification
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s16.t3
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2.16.3 Chronological classification
c21.s16.t3.1
Detailed chronological classification of all the cave inscriptions discovered up to the time was proposed almost simultaneously by Mahalingam⁵ and Mahadevan.⁶ These classifications are based on palaeographic evolution and orthographic conventions in the inscriptions. The dates assigned range between ca. 3rd century B.C. for Mangulam to ca. 4th century A.D. for Arachalur. The two lists are broadly in agreement with each other within the relatively narrow range of one century either way. Another slightly modified chronological scheme was also published by me in 1992, taking into account the occurrence of the *puḷḷi* in the cave inscriptions.¹
c21.s16.t3.2
⁵ T. V. Mahalingam 1967: p. 200.
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⁶ *Corpus of the Tamil-Brāhmī Inscriptions 1966* (1968): Appendix I at pp. 69-73.
c21.s16.t3.4
¹ I. Mahadevan 1992: Appendix at pp. 166-167.