DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36954#0171
made it possible to show how this local script developed from the
Kusana period onwards up to the sixth century A.D., ending P/. 204
with the calligraphic ornate type (SANDER 1968: 123—30).
The evolution, not reflected by the Gilgit ms. find, is confirmed
by the Brahmi inscriptions found in the area of Gilgit (cf. appen-
dix, pp. 119 ff). The inscriptions from the Alam Bridge were first
transcribed and published by G. FUSSMAN (1978). H. HUMBACH
(1980a; cf. FUSSMAN 1980: 461) reread them and added in
many cases palaeographical notes concerning ^saras which he
interpreted differently from FUSSMAN. These Brahmi inscrip-
tions cover a period from the Kusana to the later Gupta era.
Some of them resemble very closely mss. from Bamiyan, e.g.
the Kusana inscription PI. 14b in FUSSMAN's publication (HUM-
BACH No. 11), and the early Gupta inscription on PI. 26 (FUSS-
MAN), equal to HUMBACH No. 22,12 (for details see SANDER
1983.- 116f.).
Two Sanskrit inscriptions (No. 17, 66) can be recognized among
the Sogdian inscriptions from the Shatial Bridge recently published
by H. HUMBACH (1980b) and K. JETTMAR (1985: PI. 18).
One of them, No. 17, may be read (cf. v. HIN-
UBER, p. 44). For palaeographical reasons the initial A is
of some interest because it shows the same bends on the left
side as the initial A known from Khotanese and early mss.
from the northern Silk Road . Of more interest concern-
ing the relationship between Gilgit and Khotan is the only
Brahmi inscription published in the same article (No. 93). It
consists of the sanskritized Persian name
on which HUMBACH commented: "Vom graphischen Standpunkt
aus gesehen ist hier interessant, daB der stimmhafte Sibilant
des Iranischen nach der im Khotansakischen gelaufigen ... Weise
durch ys wiedergegeben wird" (1980b: 205). The Brahmi of this
inscription resembles closely that of several mss. from Bamiyan
and Qizil (northern Silk Road). Thus, the aksara ro ^ with the
vertical bend up to the left, and the s- in the ligature sy% ^
have almost the same shape as in the mss. from Bamiyan and
Qizil. Both the mss. and inscription may be dated with some EF
certainty to the fifth century A.D. in accordance with one
Gupta inscription from Mathura cut in the same style and dated
135 of the Gupta era (FLEET 1888: 263, PI. XXXIX A). It is the
109
Kusana period onwards up to the sixth century A.D., ending P/. 204
with the calligraphic ornate type (SANDER 1968: 123—30).
The evolution, not reflected by the Gilgit ms. find, is confirmed
by the Brahmi inscriptions found in the area of Gilgit (cf. appen-
dix, pp. 119 ff). The inscriptions from the Alam Bridge were first
transcribed and published by G. FUSSMAN (1978). H. HUMBACH
(1980a; cf. FUSSMAN 1980: 461) reread them and added in
many cases palaeographical notes concerning ^saras which he
interpreted differently from FUSSMAN. These Brahmi inscrip-
tions cover a period from the Kusana to the later Gupta era.
Some of them resemble very closely mss. from Bamiyan, e.g.
the Kusana inscription PI. 14b in FUSSMAN's publication (HUM-
BACH No. 11), and the early Gupta inscription on PI. 26 (FUSS-
MAN), equal to HUMBACH No. 22,12 (for details see SANDER
1983.- 116f.).
Two Sanskrit inscriptions (No. 17, 66) can be recognized among
the Sogdian inscriptions from the Shatial Bridge recently published
by H. HUMBACH (1980b) and K. JETTMAR (1985: PI. 18).
One of them, No. 17, may be read (cf. v. HIN-
UBER, p. 44). For palaeographical reasons the initial A is
of some interest because it shows the same bends on the left
side as the initial A known from Khotanese and early mss.
from the northern Silk Road . Of more interest concern-
ing the relationship between Gilgit and Khotan is the only
Brahmi inscription published in the same article (No. 93). It
consists of the sanskritized Persian name
on which HUMBACH commented: "Vom graphischen Standpunkt
aus gesehen ist hier interessant, daB der stimmhafte Sibilant
des Iranischen nach der im Khotansakischen gelaufigen ... Weise
durch ys wiedergegeben wird" (1980b: 205). The Brahmi of this
inscription resembles closely that of several mss. from Bamiyan
and Qizil (northern Silk Road). Thus, the aksara ro ^ with the
vertical bend up to the left, and the s- in the ligature sy% ^
have almost the same shape as in the mss. from Bamiyan and
Qizil. Both the mss. and inscription may be dated with some EF
certainty to the fifth century A.D. in accordance with one
Gupta inscription from Mathura cut in the same style and dated
135 of the Gupta era (FLEET 1888: 263, PI. XXXIX A). It is the
109