North Indian Inscriptions

RECORDS OF THE SOMAVAMSI KINGS OF KATAK.

not compelled to place the record, on this account, before A.D. 794-95 ; for the same system was used in the grant (from somewhere in Bengal) of the Mahârâja Vinâyakapâla, the date of which falls in that year (Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 140, Plate). And the force of this feature is impaired by the fact that decimal figures also occur in all the six charters. This latter feature, indeed, does not oblige us to place these records after A.D. 862 ; for, decimal figures occur. in the Dêôgaḍh inscription (central India) of Bhôjadêva of Kanauj, of that year (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. Plate xxxiii. No. 2). But it points to about A.D. 800, as the earliest possible time for these charters.

......The next point to which attention may be given, is the use of the virâma, in conjunction with the full form of t in B. to F., and once in conjunction with the full form of n in B. ; this feature, however, being qualified by the use also of final forms of t, n, and m, more or less throughout the whole series. The virâma perhaps occurs with t in saṁvat, line 6, in the Dêôgaḍh inscription of A.D. 862.¹ It certainly occurs, in conjunction with a half final form of t,─ a complete t, except for the absence of the mâtrâ or horizontal top-stroke,─ in pañchâśat, line 20 (twice), in the Gwâlior inscription (Central India) of the same king, of A.D. 875-76 (Ep. Ind. Vol. I. p. 160, Plate). It appears in conjunction with the full forms of t and m in the Pehoa inscription (Pañjâb) of Mahêndrapâla, of about A.D. 900 (ibid. p. 244, Plate) ; see, for instance, śârṅgabhṛit, line 2, and tâpam, line 3. And it occurs in conjuction with the full forms of t, n, and m in the Khajurâhô inscription (Bundêkhaṇḍ) of Yaśôvarman, of A.D. 953-54 (ibid. p. 124, Plate) ; see, for instance, varât, line 1, tyâgavân, line 3, and nirvṛitim, line 28. So far, therefore, as the use of the virâma is concerned, the present charters need not be placed after A.D. 900. And the use of final forms also might seem to necessitate our placing them before that date. But though the records mentioned above shew no final forms at all, a final form of t occurs in the word samvat, lines 32 and 33, of the Harsha inscription (Râjputânâ) of Vigraharâja, of A.D. 973 (id. Vol. II. p. 120, Plate) ; and the Dêwal inscription (North-West Provinces) of the Chhinda prince Lalla, of A.D. 992-93 (id. Vol. I. p. 76, plate), shews, e.g. in bhuvam, line 8, a half final form of m,─ a complete m, except for the mâtrâ, with a virâma attached to it. And therefore, in spite of the use of final forms, the charters may also, without objection, be placed as late as A.D. 973.

......Another instructive feature is the use of the avagraha in E. and F. ; properly, in E. line 38, to denote the elision of an initial a after an ô, and incorrectly, in E. line 29, and F. line 35, to mark the absorption of an initial a into a preceding â. This sign does not occur in any of the other records mentioned above. And the earliest other instances of the use of it, that I can quote, are vânumôdêta in line 43 of the Barôda grant (Gujarât) of Dhârâvarsha3 Nirupama-Dhruvarâja, of A.D. 834 or 835 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 200, Plate), and vuddhvâ smad in line 25 of the Ujjain grant (Mâlwa) of Vâkpatirâja of Dhârâ, of A.D. 974 or 975 (id. Vol. VI. p. 52, Plate), in both of which places it is used, improperly, to mark the absorption of an initial a into a preceding â, and śilpêntarâyaḥ, line 4, dadhêvasâdam, line 13, and lâñchhitôssir, line 18, where it is used correctly, and śrutvânyathâ, line 19, where it is used incorrectly, in the ‘Deopara’ inscription of Vijayasêna, attributable to the end of the eleventh century A.D. (Ep. Ind. Vol. I. p. 308, Plate). It is a sign which is emphatically opposed to any particular amount of antiquity.

......Still more instructive is the use of the fully developed mâtrâs or horizontal top-strokes of letters, almost all through these charters. In A. and F., this feature is very unmistakable,─ plain straight lines being used. In B., C., and D., the upright strokes are capped with triangular tops, cloven on the upper side ; the mâtrâs were formed by running
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......¹ The Aphsaḍ inscription was constructed in such a way as to avoid both the virâma and final forms ; except in one word, varayan, line 9, where an anusvâra was wrongly substituted for the n, either as a final, or saṁdhi with the following m.