Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages c9.s2.t6.2

c9.s2.t6.2

The inscriptions of the Gupta emperors of northern India, nearly all in Sanskrit language and late Brāhmī script, are compiled in J. F. Fleet's *Inscriptions of the Early Gupta Kings* (CII 3, 1888) and in D. R. Bhandarkar's revised edition of CII 3 (1981).⁹⁰ The majority of the Gupta inscriptions are stone records on rocks, pillars, and cave walls, but there are also several copper plate, clay seal, and miscellaneous inscriptions. Many of the Gupta inscriptions, especially those on rocks and pillars, are of the *praśasti* class (see 2.1.1), while others are purely dedicatory, recording Brahmanical, Buddhist, or Jaina donations and mentioning the ruler only in connection with the date. Several royal seal inscriptions provide detailed dynastic genealogies and are of great value for historical reconstruction.