Epigraphia Indica Vol 07

SR No.: 032561
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 522
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 23 MB

Page 306

APPENDIX.
A LIST OF INSCRIPTIONS OF SOUTHERN INDIA
FROM ABOUT A.D. 500.
BY PROFESSOX F. KIELHORN, C.I.E.; GÖTTINGES. TN continuation of my List of the Inscriptions of Northern India. I now publish a similar list
1 of inscriptions of Southern India, which also was originally compiled solely for my own use. It contains all southern inscriptions from about A.D. 500 which I have found in the vari. ous publications accessible to me, excepting, as a rule, those in Dr. Burgess and Pandit Natesa Sastri's Archæol. Survey of Southern India, Vol. IV., and in Mr. Rico's Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. III. ff. The inscriptions of any importance, other than reprints, in the former publication may be expected to be soon republished critically, and those in the Epigraphia Carnatioa will, I have no doubt, receive a general index of their own, when all the texts have been published.
While I am writing these lines,' my list contains 1,020 numbers which treat of about 1,200 separate inscriptions. Of this total about 210 are on copper-plates, and 890 on stone. Taken as & whole, the inscriptions of the South in some respecte differ Aggentially from the northern inscriptions. The latter with insignificant exceptions are all in Sanskrit ; of the 1,100 inscriptions in the present list not more than about 290 are in Sanskrit only. About 340 aro in Tamil, 320 in Kanarese, 10 in Telugu, 90 in Sanskfit and Kanarese, 30 in Sanskpit and Telugu, and 20 in Sanskrit and Tamil; the language of four is an ancient Prakrit, and a few are composed or contain remarks in a dialect which apparently is an old form of Marathi. On the othor hand, while the inscriptions of the North are dated in about ton different eras the chief of which is the Vikrams era, Southern India generally uses the sakn er. Of about 510 of these inscriptions dated according to eras, 450 quote the Saka and 20 from the southernmost part of India the Kôlamba (or Kollam) era; six quite exceptionally use the era of the Kaliyuga (marked Ky.), and 34 are dated according to the Chalukya-Vikrama era (marked Chà. Vi.), i.e., really, in regnal years of the Western Châlukya Vikramaditya VI. The Vikrama era is foroign to the South; it is quoted only once, in the most modern inscription of this list (of A.D. 1830), which also gives the number of years elapsed since Vardhamåna's Nirvana. This list, moreover, will show that in large tracts of Southern India it was the custom - more rarely observed in Northern Indiato date documents only in the regnal years of the reigning kings. Of the prominent part which the Jovian years play in the dates of southern inscriptions I have had occasion to spenk elsewhere.
Differently from the course followed in the Northern List, I have arranged tho inscriptions here given mainly according to the dynasties to which thoy belong. Dated and undated miscellaneous inscriptions which I cannot assign to any particular dynasty will be givon under separate headings at the end of the list. Any inconvenience which my arrangement may cause I hope to
See above, Vol. V. Appendix.
? Any inscriptions that may be published while this list is being printed will as far as possible be inserted in their proper places,
· When the language of an inscription is not stated in this liat, it should be understond to be Sanskrit. • Current years will be denoted in this list by an asterisk placed after the numerals for the year.