Indian Epigraphy c8.s2.t5.1

c8.s2.t5.1

Among the Neo-Indo-Aryan languages, Marāṭhī appears first in epigraphic records.³ One of the earliest specimens of the Marāṭhī language is found in the Marmuri copper-plate grant⁴ (974 A.D.) of the Cālukya prince Iriva-beḍaṅga Satyāśraya. Certain private records of the 11th century, such as the Dive Agar plate⁵ of 1060 A.D. and the Sravana-Belgola epigraph⁶ of c. 1118 A.D., are written in Marāṭhī. In this connection, reference may also be made to the Ambe-Jogai (1144 A.D.), Ranjali (1148 A.D.), Chiplun (1156 A.D.), Tera (1163 A.D.), Savargaon (1164 A.D.), Parel (1186 A.D.), Patan (1206 A.D.), Navasem (1239 A.D.) and Ranebennur (1252 A.D.) stone inscriptions.¹ The earliest Marāṭhī literary work is the *Jñāneśvarī* (the popular name of the *Bhāvārthadīpikā* by Jñānadeva), a commentary on the *Gītā*, which was composed much later than some of the above records in 1296 A.D.² The Velapur stone inscriptions³ of 1300 A.D. are slightly later than the date of the composition of the said work.