Vol. X, No. 11.] Four Forged Grants from Faridpur. 435 



[N.S.] 



5th century a.d. the Eastern variety of Gupta alphabet was 

 already dying out in North-Eastern India and its place had to a 

 very large extent been already occupied by the Western variety. 

 Consequently, either the first three inscriptions from Faridpur 

 will have to be assigned to the 4th or 5th century a.d., or 

 declared to be forgeries. The evidence of the fourth inscrip- 

 tion is conclusive on this point. In this inscription we find 



that the Eastern variety of the Gupta alphabet is being used 

 along with the Western variety and certain other forms, which 

 cannot be taken to have been used in North-Eastern India 

 earlier than the 7th or 8th century a d. The result I believe 

 is apparent and does not need a fresh statement. In the first 

 three inscriptions from Faridpur we find certain forms of the 

 Eastern variety of the Gupta alphabet which are altogether 

 new to Indian palaeography. The form of Ha in the word 

 Himasena in line 23 of inscription No. 1, is an example of the 

 above statement. The letter does not resemble any form of 

 Ha of the Gupta alphabet, but is more akin to the Ra of the 

 8th or 9th century alphabet of Northern India. This peculiar 

 shape of the letter Ha is a result of a man's attempt to copy 

 a form of a letter which is altogether unfamiliar to him. 



Mr. Pargiter is of opinion that the fourth grant at least 

 is "not a royal grant, but a grant by the business men of 

 S'antha of a part of the common land of their village," l 

 and consequently he proceeds to reject my second ground for 

 discrediting the fourth grant, viz. that it differs from the 

 formula found in the majority of copper-plate grants. If this 

 statement be correct, then we shall have to admit that Mr. 

 Pargiter has discovered a new class of grants, — private grants, 

 which are to be distinguished from the majority of known 

 copper-plate grants which are royal grants, Mr. Pargiter 

 does not seem to be aware that even a private grant needs 

 royal confirmation. " According to the Law Books (Jolly, 

 Recht um Sitte) all S asanas must bear the royal seal."' 2 

 This statement is fully borne out by the discovery of the 

 Kamauli Grant of the Singara Prince Vatsaraja of the reign 

 of Govindacandra. 3 the plates of the reign of the Caulukya 

 Prince Ajayapala, recording the grant of his officer {Maliamand- 

 ale&vara) Vaijalladeva. 4 the British Museum Plate of the 

 Maharanaka Salakhanavarma leva in the reign of the Kalacuri 

 Maharajadhiraja Vijayadeva, 6 etc. Numerous inscriptions have 

 been found in Northern India which illustrate this principle, 

 and consequently Mr. Pargiter's assumption may be rejected 



1 Above, Vol. VI 1. |>. 49(3. 



•2 Bnhlers Indian Palaeojiraphy , English Edition, p. 92. 



Epi. hid., Vol. IV. p. 131. 



* Ind. Ant., Vol. XVIII. p. 82. 



* Ibid.. Vol. XV N. p. ±2S 



