Page:The Origin of the Bengali Script.djvu/88

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58
ORIGIN OF THE BENGALI SCRIPT.

3. The Bādāl pillar inscription of the time of Nārāyaṇapāla.[1]

4. The Visnupād temple inscription of Nārāyaṉapāla—the year 7.[2]

5. The Bhagalpur grant of Nārāyaṇapāla—the year 17.[3]

6. The Dighwā-Dubhauli grant of Mahendrapāla—V. E. 955.[4]

7. The Ramgayā inscription of Mahendrapāla—the year 8.[5]

Out of these seven inscriptions the Hunger grant of Devapāla is of no use for Palæographical purposes, as its original cannot be traced, and it was published by the late Dr. Kielhorn from the eye copy reproduced in the first volume of the Asiatick Researches. The Ghosrāwā inscription is the only record whose characters may be taken to represent the North Eastern alphabet of the earlier part of the 9th century A.D. Dr. Bühler was certainly wrong in placing the alphabets of the Dighwā-Dubhauli grant of Mahendrapāla and the Asiatic Society's grant of Vināyakapāla[6] before that of the Ghosrāwā Inscription.[7] The approximate date of the Ghosrāwā inscription is also wrongly given. It should be 800-900 A.D. instead of 850-950 A.D. Subsequent examination will prove that the Dighwā-Dubhauli grant is later in date than that of the Bhagalpur grant of Nārāyaṉapāla.


  1. Ep. Ind., Vol. II, p 161.
  2. Cunningham's A. S. R., Vol. III, pl. XXXVI.
  3. Ind. Ant., Vol. XV, p. 305; J. A. S. B. 1878, Pt. 1, pl. XXIV-XXV.
  4. Ind. Ant., Vol. XV, p. 112.
  5. Cunningham's A. S. R., Vol. III, pl. XXXVII, No. 6.
  6. Bühler's Indische Palæographie—Tafel IV, Cols. XXI & XXIII.
  7. Ibid, Taf. V, Col. VI.