63 CHAPTER THREE PALEOGRAPHY QF IN3CRIPTI0W3 FROn 3ECQM0 CEiMTURY A. D. TO THIRD CENTURY M. D. In preuious chapter it has been discussed that till the end of first century B.C. the characters of 3r§hmi script in Western India developed smoothly uithout disturbing the old tradtional forms. There uere no structural changes of the script even though stylistic changes are given due scope for in'dividual mannerisms. The beginning of first century A. D. marked a new phase of development in the history of script of Uestern Indian caves. The development can be seen clearly in the inscription of * iShatapalika of Nasik; early inscription nos. 1-11 of Karla; inscription nos. 1-3 of Bedsa and inscription no, 7 of Junnar. It is observed that the old traditional Mauryan style got mixed uith the neu style . Houever, the introduction of Kshatrapa pen-style towards the beginning of first quarter of second * The inscription records thus "A chaityagriha has been established on mount Trirasmi (Tiraiphu) by I^ahahakusiriya Bhatapalika, daughter of royal minister, Arahalaya Chalisalanaka, uife of the royal minister Agiyatanaka Bhadakarikaya (and) mother of Kapananaka” (Burgess 1975:99). 64 century A.D. brought a drastic change in the scriptal tradition of western India. The influence of Kshatrapa pen-style can be seen clearly in the inscriptions of Satauahana rulers, viz. in the inscription of Gautamiputra Satakarni ; in the inscriptions of Uasisthiputra Pulumavi and in the inscription of Yajna Satakarni. The neu pen-style of Kshatrapa overlapped the old tradition of uriting. The influence of Kshatrapa pen-style can be seen clearly in the Inscriptions of Nasik cave uhich uas a centre of uriting and learning. „ In the epigraphical records of Nasik caves there are many instances of mentioning the names of professional^^iterj The tradition of keeping records in the record house uas knoun and common during the time of the Kshatrapa Kshaharatas and the Satavahanas. The following epigraphical records from Nasik caves show that Nasik uas a centre of uriting and learning during the second and third century A. D. * 5 — I 1. In the Nasik cave inscription of Ushavadata, in the fourth line it is uritten as follous : "Kapurahare cha game chikhalapadre datani niligeranamula sahasrani atha 8000(l) eta cha sarva sravita nigamasabhaya nibadha cha ptalakavare charitra to ti _7 T ranslation. '*In the village of chhikhalapadra, (situated) 65 in the district of Kapura, eight thousands, 8000 have been giv/en as the price for cocoanut trees. And all this have been proclaimed in the guildhall and has been written on boards according to custom" (Burgess 1975:102). From the inscriptional evidence it can be uell said that there uas the tradition of recording the donation in the record room. J n-the iMasik incriptions of Gautamiputra Satakarni and his mother, Queen Balasri Gautami there are instances of mentioning the professional writers. In line nos, 5,6,11 and the names of the writers are mentioned as follows : Line nos. 5 & 6. 5. eta chasa kheta parihare cha nibadho lihi av/iyana agataft amachena siv/agutena chhato mahasamiyehi Uparakhito 6. data patika savachhare 14 v/ase pa(khe) 2 divase 1 Tapasena kata 11_7 Translation "Moreover, with respect to this field and with respect to this immunity, a charter has been drawn up, which has been approved of by the minister, Sivagupta (sivaguta), who received (our) verbal orders (to that effect), and which is preserved by the great lords. A document, prepared by Tapasa on the first day of the second fortnight of the rainy season of the year 14, has been given (to the donees)'* — - (Burgess 1975:105) 66 Line nos. 11 and 12. (11) etehi na pariharehi pariheritha eta chasa kheta parihara cha e ^ a nibadha latha av/iyena . O Q anatapatiharakhiya lotaya tnata savachhare 24. (12) (ua) sasa pakhe 4 divase pachane 5 pujitina kata nibadho ^nibadTi^ samuachhare 24 gimhana pakhe 2 diuase 10 (l). T ranslation "And with respect to this field, and uith respect to this exemption, a charter has been drawn up (which has been) approved of by Lota, the chief lady-in-uaiting (to the Queen-^other), who received oral instructions (regarding this grant), and it has been done in writing by pujiti on the fifth, 5th, day of the 4th fortnight of the rainy season of the year 24. The charter was drawn up on the 10th day of the 2nd fortnight of the hot season of the year 24". (Burgess 1975 ;107). The above two inscriptions give a clear evidenceience ofof_ recording the royal procla^mation by a professior)nal These two inscriptions were written in two different dates 124 A. D. and 130 A. D. (Sircar 1942 :191, 193). The ' inscriptions mention the name of two professional writers Tipasa and Pujiti. The name themselves prove that three were different court writers. 67 In Nasik inscription nos. 17 and no. 18 of priv/ate 1 individual records, the names of Saka writers have been mentioned. Insc. no. 17. Line no. 1. 'Sidham Sakasa Damachikasa lekhakasa vudhikasa” success.' (the gift) of Vudhikasa, the writer of Saka Damachika .... (Burgess 1975 :114) Insc. no. IB. Line no. 1. Sidhafh Sakasa Damachikasa 2. leghakasa Vudhikasa podhi - "Success.' A cistern, (the gift) of Vudhika, the writer of s”aka Damachika". From the above epigraphical records it can be said that there were Saka professional writers during the time of Kshatrapa Kshaharatas and Satavahanas. Occurrence of different names of different writers in the inscriptions of Nasik caves further suggests that writing was highly popularised at Nasik during second century A. 0. In the inscription nos. 1 and 6 the name of the writer, Sivabhuti is mentioned twice (Burgess 1975 :8A,85). In the inscription of Visapur the name of the writer^ Mugudapalitb is mentioned. 68 As there uere many professional writers in different regions there uere also many chances for developing different local scriptal traditions. The detailed palaeographical analysis of Uestern Indian cave inscriptions of second and third century A. D. suggests thatjthere uere different scriptal traditions in uestern India. The inscriptions of different caves viz Karla, 3unnar, IMasik and Kanheri have shoun different scriptal traditions though they belonged to the same period. For instance, the inscriptions of Kshatrapa Kshaharatas shou different scriptal tradition^ different regions. In the same uay, the S§tav§hana inscript ioni of the same pext-Od (\jasisthiput ra Pulumavi) ^ shous striking differences in scriptal style tradition from one region to another. At Nasik the pen-style of Satavahanas 'is similar to the pen-style of Kshatrapa Kshaharatas, whereas the Satavahana inscriptions of Karla and Nasik are different in scriptal styles. At Karla the pen-style of Ushavadata is similar to the pen-style of the Satavahanas. But the scriptal style of Ushavadata inscription from Karla is different from that of Ushavadata inscriptions of Nasik* The different scriptal tradition of the different regions viz Karla, Nasik and Junnar are shoun in the chart given belou. 69 1. Chart no. I.shows the difference of the scriptal styles betueen the Kshatrapa Kshaharata scripts of Nasik, Karla and Junnar. 2. Char no. II shous the difference of the scriptal styles between the Sata\/ahana scripts of Nasik and Karla Chart-I Chart-II Kshatrapa Inscriptions Satav/ahana Inscriptions Ushavadata*s Insc. Ayama*s Insc. yasisthiputra Pulumavi’s i r r Insc. Nasik Karla Junnar Nasik Karla >1 >■ 3 n f u L u e A o Z 7 ka t ] kha 0 A Q 2 70 Kshatrapa Inscriptions SStav/lhana Inscriptions ^----------- --------- 1 I--------------------- 1 Usha\jadata ' s Insc. Ayama's Insc. Wasisthiputra Pu J,umav/i * s ^ ^ I 4< Insc. Nasik Karla 3 unnar Nasik Karla ga o n -----------o gha 111 LU u j U ria cha 'd ^ ^ chha io do (}o io ja E } e jha y na T ta c C C tha I ^ d L l 3 na hh K A tha o Q o Q da 71 Inscriptions Satav/ahana Inscriptions Ushauadata ' s Insc. Ayama's Insc. V/asisthiput ra Pulumav/i’s Insc. Nasik Karla Junnar Nasik Karla dha a 0 Q na^ 1 . X X pa u u U U ph u be □ o a bha- ma- X ya- UJ vL» OJ k v ra j ) J la- r \ J ■A ii la l< I j . SB A sa sa U ha c U na LT to LT LT u 72 3. Chart no. Ill shou3 the similarities of scriptai styles between the Nasik inscriptions of Kshatrapa Kshaharatas and the Nasik inscriptions of Satavahanas. Chart-Ill Kshatrapa Satavahana Inscriptions Inscriptions Ushav/adata Gautamiputra \y§sisthiput ra Yajfia Nasik Satakarni Puluma\/i S5takarr)i Nasik Nasik Nasik a *) e - A Z ka t kha n ga r\ o 73 Kshat rapa Satauahana Inscrip tions. Inscriptions Ushauadata Gautamiputra y/asisthiput ra Ya j na Nasik Satakarni Pulumav/i Satakarni Nasik Nasik Nasik gha iU UJ \u i*ia cha ri r6 4o chha do * <3o ja E £ E j ha na > T ta C tha da dha L, na I I ta h A tha O da 74 Kshatrapa Satav/ahana Inscription?;^. Inscriptions T Ushavadata Gautamiputra Uasisthiputra Ya j na IM asik S3takarni Pulumawi Satakarni Nasik Nasik Nasik dha a 0 a na JL pa U u pha u ba □ 0 n bha a r\ ma X a ya OJ O) UJ 0/ ra J la •il la L va L A sHd /D I U sa ha I f LT 75 Not only different in uriting style but different spelling and different letters have also bean used for the same meaning or uord. The different styles of uriting of the same uord are giuen as belou ; Ushav/adata inscription Ushav/adata inscription of Karla of Nasik d ^ 1 .