Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s12.t2.12

c25.s12.t2.12

The hill at Malakonda, Nellore (now Prakasam) District in Andhra Pradesh, is strategically located to the north of the traditional boundary between Andhra and the ancient Tamil country, and probably also marked the southern limit of the Mauryan Empire in this region. The cave inscription⁵ on this hill is in Prakrit written in the Southern Brāhmī script of ca. 1st century a.d.⁶ and is the southernmost example of its kind.¹ The inscription records the gift of the cave shelter presumably to Jaina monks by a Tamil trader (*seṭhi*) who describes himself as belonging to the *aruvāḷa-kula*.² The Tamil-Brāhmī form of *ḷ* occurs uniquely in this expression.