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The Age of Maturity (11th-13th Century A.D.)
progressing feature of i, tailed kha, flat-topped na and vertical form of na. Both forms of bha, archaic open-mouthed and transitional, occur in this inscription. But triangular type of left limb remains in ga and sa. Left curves of gha are horizontally placed. Pha like Kauthem Plates shows an inner loop in the right limb. And sa is also of old inner looped or flattopped variety.
119
The lower extremity of the letters in Silāhāra inscription is bent to the right. Initial i of both inscriptions present only old features of the letter. The left limb of kha bends to left in cursive or straight form in place of developed tail or archaic triangle shape. The left limb of ga also develops in the same direction. Rare jha occurs in both inscriptions. Tha of tha in Table D15 presents the features of the letter as found in Jaina-Nāgarī. The top of na is cursive. Table D14 which has been taken from an earlier inscription of this century furnishes only the curved form of ta and na, old type of cursive or flat-topped sa while later Kharepaṭan plates (Table D15) denote their well developed shape. Dha of this region is still without upper horn. The letter pha differs from the inscriptions of the same region by its outer curve of the right limb in place of inner loop. Bha presents only its transitional phase in which right arm is in curved shape instead of a vertical line.
Among ligature, superscribed gh in Table D15 denotes its modern shape. Subscript chha is of oval variety. Optionally letter s retains old open-mouthed shape. The medial vowels are usual as in that period.
12th Century
Kolhapur Plates of Śilāhāra Gaṇḍarāditya (A.D. 1126) and Kolhapur inscription of Silahāra Bhoja II (1190-93) are selected and illustrated in Table E13 & E14 to represent the development in Nāgarī script in 12th century A.D. The new innovations which draw our attention are found in letters kha, gha, cha, na, dha, ba, bha, śa. The left limb of kha develops into tailed shape as in northern inscriptions. The notched portion of gha prolapse to left and are placed vertically. Cha flattens its upper limb in
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