Indian Antiquary Vol 21

SR No.: 032513
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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44
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(FEBRUARY, 1892.
longer, being used by the Lichchhavi family in their inscriptions, while the Thakuri family adopted the newer variety.
The sketch-map of the distribution of the two Northern varieties throws some farther light on the subject. It will be observed that, with two exceptions, all the inscriptions in the North-Eastern alphabet lie from Kosam or Allahabad east-ward. Those in the North-Western variety lie to the West and South-West of the North-Eastern area. This is the case up to about the year 500 A. D. After this date (as will be seen by the dates noted with the place-names) the North-Western inscriptions spread over the whole of the North-Eastern area. The only exception is the Pahladpur inscription, with its very early date of about 370 A. D. (No. 2 in List I.).
Another noteworthy point is, that the North-Eastern inscriptions are nearly all crowded together, just south of Népal, and in (what I may call) the home-provinces of the Gupta empire. Add to this, that, in India proper at least, they are confined entirely to the period of the height of the Gupta rule, 1. e., to the reigns of Chandra Gupta IL, Kumara Gupta I, and Skanda Gupta. The earliest is the Allahabad inscription under Chandra Gupta II, about 400 A. D., the latest is the Gadhwa inscription, under Skanda Gupta, in 467 A. D. (see List III). Their period is just about a hundred years, from the end of the 4th to the end of the 5th century. The Pahlådpar inscription certainly falls before that period; for it shows the very ancient Indo-scythic angular form of m. The exact epoch when this angular form of in was superseded by the square form y is not yet known; and it is very desirable that this point should be statistically worked out. But the Bijayagadh inscriptions of the year 371 A. D. shows the same angular m, and the gold coins of Chandra Gupta I and Samudra Gupta already show the first beginnings of the use of the square form of m. The Pahladpur inscription may, therefore, safely be placed about 370 A. D. or earlier, that is, in the reign of Chandra Gupta I. It seems clear from this fact, that the North-Eastern alphabet has some peculiar connection with the imperial Gupta family. If we remember that this alphabet was also current in Nepal and that the Guptas entertained intimate relations with the ruling Lichchhavi family of Nepal, it becomes probable that the North-Eastern alphabet was introduced into India proper under the Lichchbavi influence. Chandra Gapta I married a Lichchhavi princess and founded the Gupta empire. Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II gave it its widest extension, and they left their landmarks in the Faridpur inscription in the east, and the Mihrauli and Udaigiri inscriptions in the West and South-West (Nos. 1, 4, 5, in list III). As the Lichchhavis themselves originally came from North-Eastern India (Patalipatra = Patna), their alphabet possibly may, after all, claim an indigenous Indian origin,
I see that Professor Bühler suggests, that the dates of Dr. Bhagwanlal's Nos. 1-3 are not to be interpreted (as done by Mr. Fleet and myself) as Gupta, bat as Vikrams dates (see Vienna Oriental Journal, Vol. V. p. 219). If this suggestion should prove correct, some of the details in the foregoing observations will require re-adjustment; but the main points of my argument are not affected by this question. Nor, so far as I can see, does it affect Prof. Bübler's own view regarding the origin of the Gupta era. That view does seem to me probably true. We must avait Prof. Bühler's promised full statement of his objections to Mr. Fleet's interpretion of the dates. In the meantime the probabilities seem to me greatly in favour of the latter. It seems difficult to understand how the Malaya pra - for that is really the Vikrama ere - should have got into Nepål at so early a period,
With regard to the Faridpur inscription, referred to several times in the foregoing remarks, I may give the following preliminary information. It was found, not long ago, in the Faridpur district of Eastern Bengal. It is written in the early Gupta characters of the NorthEastern class. It shows throughout the old form W of y; the transitional W and modern
forms never occur. It furthers shows throughout the North-Eastern form af of sh, which is very difficult to distinguish from the dental 8. The inscription refers itself to the reign of