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Development of Nāgarī Script
region and period-wise. One more problem confronts us with ancient manuscripts is their being written on palm-leaves or birch-bark. These are easily perishable materials, for which reason preservers generally do not provide for proper observations.
The manuscripts written in Nāgarī have come in a good number. But I am not able here to particularize all the characteristics, which needs a volume by itself. For our present purpose only some manuscripts have been selected for illustration and analytical elaborations. A comparative study of the letter forms in the manuscripts with the forms known from the inscriptions is also intended.
For the sake of palaeographic presentation the following published manuscripts have been selected:
1. Buddhist palm-leaf manuscripts (11th century A.D.). 2. Oghniryukti palm-leaf manuscript of A.D. 1060 (now preserved in
the collection of the Jaina Trust, Jaisalmer). 3. Sri Bhagavatīsūtra palm-leaf manuscript of A.D. 1062 (written at
Stambhatīrtha, Cambay). 4. Palm-leaf manuscript of A.D. 1118 (Jaina Trust, Jaisalmer). 5. Sārdha-śataka palm-leaf manuscript (c. A.D. 1125-50, Jaina Trust). 6. Karmastavatīkā plam-leaf manuscript of A.D. 1122 (BORI, Poona). 7. Jaina palm-leaf manuscript (c. 1275-1300, Jaina Trust). 8. Risabhadevacharita of A.D. 1232, and 9. Mahāvīracharita of A.D. 1237 (Pāțan).
These manuscripts are arranged under eight groups according to period and region for analytical study of the palaeography.
Eleventh Century
Table M is derived from the illustrated Buddhist palm-leaf manuscripts of 11th century A.D. In comparing the alphabet in inscriptions, we observe,
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