183S.] 



Hindu Inscriptions, 



193 



b.^Hindu Itiscriptions.—Bf/ Walter Elliot, Esq., Madras- 



Civit Service.— Re-puhlished (with the correclions and emenda- 



iions of ihe AjjTuoii) from the Journal of the Royal Asiatic 

 Society, No. VIL 



I beg to present to the Royal Asiatic Society two MS. volumes, 

 eontaining copies of 595 Inscriptions, collected, during a period of 

 eight years, in the southern Mahralla country, or the district of 

 Dharwar ; in the western part, of the Nizam's territories ; in the north- 

 ern district of Mysore; and from the province of Sunda, compris- 

 ed in the Mangalore collectorate. 



Most of these are engraved on great slabs of stone, generally form- 

 ed from a compact black basalt, which takes a fine polish, and seems 

 particularly adapted for resisting the influence of the weather. Some- 

 times the slabs are of clay slate, or (particularly to the N. E,) of a 

 small schistose limestone, more liable to injury and erosion. Others, 

 again, are cut on the pillars of temples, or on their exterior Vv-alls, as on 

 the sandstone temples of Eiwally * or Eiyaholla ; and a very few are 

 taken from deeds engraved on sheets of copper, that had been long in. 

 the earth, and had accidentcilly been brought to light. Several have been 

 procured from monumentalstones recording the death of warriors,or the 

 incremation of satlis ; the latter are frequent in the S.W. portion of the 

 Dharwar district, ant] in Mysore, and display rudely-sculptured repre- 

 sentations of the scenes recorded. The plain slabs have generally a 

 few sym.boIs engraved above the commencement of the inscription.. In 

 the right corner is the sun, in the left the moon. Below the sun is 

 sometimes found the peculiar ensign or symbol of the parly making 

 the grant. Thus, the Chalukyas carry (he figure of a boar, which was 

 their signet, or ensign ; and (he Yadavas are often distinguished by the 

 representation of a crooked knife, or dagger. Underneath the moon 

 is a cow and calf, which were always presented to the Brahmans on the 

 occasion of grants being made. In the centre is the chief object of 

 worship of the granter. The Chalukyas, being followers of Siva, have 

 the Lingam in this situation, with an officiating priest on the one side 

 of it, and a votary on the other; the Kalabhuryas, a sitting Jain Tir- 

 thara, with attendants, &c. But most of the grants having been made 

 by individuals of humbler rank, they represent some symbol peculiar 

 to them, together with the Ling, or a Jain deity. A grant by a zeiniu- 



* A village on tiic bauks of tlic Maipuvlja rircr. 



