510 On the Coins of the Gupta Dynasty. [No. 6. 



is distinguished from the ordinary if by the rounding off of the 

 lower portion of the first down-stroke, while the tf itself is squared at 

 the base. The nearest approach to identity with this Numismatic ;ft 

 is to be found in the outline of that character as expressed on the 

 Udayagiri Inscription, but it must be remarked that this similitude 

 affords but little aid towards determining geographical limitation, 

 as the majority of the letters of the inscription itself are exceptional, 

 and do not accord with the characters of the other writings of the 

 same locality. The «T of these coins takes the same shape as those 

 on Kumara's silver coins, Class b, above adverted to. The remaining 

 letters, as far as they have been definitively identified, seem to follow 

 the ordinary Sah style. 



My readers may consider these details tedious : they are neces- 

 sarily so, but to justify myself for inflicting them, I may mention 

 that while I am disposed to demur to Prinsep's conclusion, that the 

 date of all Indian writings may be invariably determined by the 

 mere forms of their letters, I am on the other hand inclined to be- 

 lieve, that under a comprehensive and well considered system of 

 comparison of alphabetical characters, traced down from their com- 

 mon origin through existing monuments,* to the fixed modern forms, 

 we may determine with some precision the section of the country, 

 if not the kingdom,! to which any given inscription may owe its 

 origin. 



* The Bhilsa monumental writings in their variety might be supposed to mili- 

 tate against any such possible system of identification, but as has been before 

 remarked, this sacred site seems to have been held in equal honor by eastern and 

 western races, who possibly employed the indigenous artists to copy the originals 

 peculiar to their several countries ; if they did not even employ engravers from 

 their own land. 



f In seeking to discover the locality whence these coins emanated, it may be 

 useful to note the information contributed by Hweun Thsang on the subject of the 

 divisions of the western kingdoms : it is to be remembered, that though the supre- 

 macy may have varied, the classification of states probably followed the ancient 

 boundaries. 



Leaving Maharachtra, Hweun Thsang is described as " se dirigeant au nord-est, il 

 fit environ mille li, passa la riviere Na'i-mo-t'o (la Narmmada) et arriva au royaume 

 de Po-lou kie tchen-p'o (Baroukatch' eva — Baroche ) De la, marchant encore au 

 nord-ouest, il fit deux mille li et arriva au royaume de Mo-la-p'o (Malava) * * 



