Page:The Origin of the Bengali Script.djvu/28

10 (c) The North-Western—represented by the characters of the Kālsi rock-edicts and the letters on the coins of the Greek kings Agathocles and Pantaleon.

In this paper we are concerned only with the North-Eastern variety, of the older Maurya-alphabet, and such inscriptions of the Northern Central variety as are to be found in North-Eastern India. A detailed description of the older Maurya alphabet would also be out of place here, as it is not yet possible to improve upon Dr. Bühler's admirable description of it. Consequently, one has to remain content, simply with the noting of the peculiarities of the alphabet as found in different inscriptions. Among vowel signs the only letter to be noted is the initial ī which has been found in one of the inscriptions on the railings around the great temple at Bodh-Gayā, where Bühler reads Īdāgimitasu for Iṁdāgimitasa read by Cunningham. But in reality, the characters of this inscription belong to the younger Maurya alphabet, as shown by Bloch. Among the consonants the form of kha found in one of the inscriptions at Bodh-Gayā, with a triangle as its base, should be noted, but this inscription also, belongs to the younger Maurya alphabet. The only instance of ṇa, among the inscriptions of this period, is to be found in the mason's marks on the pillars of Buddha's walk, inside the temple enclosure at Bodh-Gayā. Cha with two loops, one on each side of a vertical straight line, instead of a circle divided into two unequal parts, have also been found among the mason's marks on the pillar-bases of Buddha's walk. The usual form of ja, is the Northern form with a loop or a dot. Other letters do not call for special attention but forms of the test letters ya, la, sa and ha may be noted. The form of ya is essentially the Northern one, which Bühler calls