1897.] Central Asian Manuscripts, 217 
III, line 42). The tridental form maintained itself sporadically in the 
2nd century, but from the 3rd century (say, 300 A.D.) the final square 
form is dominant. In Central Asia a somewhat similar evolution, 
though in another direction, took place. Both sides of the original 
trident followed a tendency to close up and become irregular circlets ; 
the left side, first ; the right side, later on ; till at last the whole form 
became a combination of two circlets. In this manner the Central 
Asian form of ya became in appearance very much like the ancient 
form of the numeral figure 10. 
The fragments, shown on Plate VII, afford a useful means of study 
of the gradual evolution of the Central Asian type of the Brahmi 
characters. Thus in general appearance the Central Asian piece Hid is 
hardly distinguishable from the surrounding Northern Indian pieces 
Ilia to III6. But No. lilt/ is known by its distinct Central Asian i 
and ma. Compare, for example, ni in IIIcZ 6 with ri in III/ 1 ; also m in 
Hid 6 with mya in III/ 3 . So also in general appearance the Cen¬ 
tral Asian piece, No. IY, closely resembles the Northern Indian 
pieces No. YIIa&; but the former can be distinguished as Central 
Asian by the forms of its e and ma. Observe, e.g., re in IV 3 ; also 
compare mi in IV 2 with ma in YII6 8 and m in Ylla 1 . By 4 general 
appearance ’ I mean principally the absence of the characteristic slant ; 
but note also the presence still of the tridental form of ya, e.g., in yd 
Hid 5 and IY 2 . Here, then, we have two examples of the beginning 
divergence of the Central Asian from the Northern Indian, shown 
in two quite distinct handwritings. 
The next step of the evolution we have in No. IX. The general 
appearance is still upright; but note the characteristic forms of ya in 
IXc 2 and IX/ 3 , which are no more tridental, the left side having been 
closed up into a circlet (the whole resembling the old numeral 10). 
Note also the characteristic forms of e and m in me IXf 2 , ma IXa 1 , ve 
IXe 1 , et passim. A further step in advance is shown in No. X. 
Here the general slant is already clearly marked ; compare this No. with 
No. YII by its side. Note also the distinctive Central Asian ya in Xa 2 , 
Xc 5,7 (exactly like the numeral 10), e in ge Xc 4 , ye Xc 7 , bhe XcZ 2 , d in 
id Xa 4 , m in X6 3 . As to the form of m, No. X shows a curious further 
development in closing the top of the ordinary Central Asian form of 
this letter. This is the only case in which I have hitherto noticed this 
very peculiar form of the Central Asian m. On comparing this piece 
with Part YI of the Weber MSS. ( Journal , As. Soc. Seng., LXII, plate 
II, fig. 2) it will be observed that they are both written in exactly 
the same handwriting : the only difference is in the form of on, Part YI 
of the Weber MSS. showing the usual Central Asian form of that 
