Box Headed Script.pptx
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The document discusses the Box-Headed script, which was used in India from the 4th to 7th centuries AD. This script featured letters with small square or rectangular "boxes" on the tops. It originated in the Gupta period and was used by dynasties like the Vakatakas, Sarabhapuriyas, Nalas, Kadambas, and Panduvamsis in their official records. The script developed regionally before disappearing after the 7th century. It represented an artistic development of serifs in letterforms during this period in central and southern India.
![The king of Panduvamsi of Mekala, Surabala, the kings of Panduvamsis
of South Kosala like, Nannaraja, Tivaradeva, Sivagupta, and Sivagupta
Balarjuna; the Kadamba king Santivarman [Fleet, IA. XXI, 93] used the
box-headed script in their records. This script was not only used by
these dynasties only but rather some minor ruling families of south
Kosala like, Rajarshitulyakulas and Parvatadvarakas used the same
script in their records. The development of box-headed script was not
only seen in the official records of the above mentioned dynasty but
also in their coins and seals we find the same alphabets. It means the
development is not limited within the official records but also found
on their coins and seals.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/boxheadedscript-231214050238-31a31898/85/Box-Headed-Script-pptx-7-320.jpg)
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Box Headed Script.pptx
- 1. Box-Headed Script Dr. Priyanka Singh Banaras Hindu University
- 2. The Brahmi Script was used to write documents throughout the Indian subcontinent and in many neighboring countries. In this way over a Period of time, many changes were made in this script. The changes that took place in these variations were also due to the pen technique. This can clearly be seen in the form of letters becoming more decorative and the medial signs becoming more ornamental. Some regional variation and popular forms of the script were also noticed in 4th -5th centuries A.D. two different regional types have been observed the Box headed Script and the Nail headed Script.
- 3. The Box headed Script was developed during 4th centuries A.D. to 7th centuries in the records of the kings of the Vakatakas, the Sharabhpuriyas, the Nalas, the Panduvamsis, the Somavansis, and the Kadambas . This box-headed script bears a very unique and distinct character. In the records of these ruling dynasties, the heads of the letters bear small squares, which are either hollow or filled in. According to A.H. Dani, this script was characterized by Square head-marks and classified into two sub-varieties viz. Solid Square and hollow Square head marks.
- 4. The hollow head marks are usually found on the top left of the letters and they are seen in the form of perfect squares. The solid filled in squares probably have been invented by writers who used ink and hollow ones by persons writing with a stilus who feared to tear on their Palm-leaves. But later on these box-head turned into solid rectangle and sometime box is projected in the two sides of the letter. The chief characteristic of this script according to Fleet are the peculiar box-head tops of the letters, formed by sinking four short strokes in the shape of a square Box.
- 5. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OFTHE BOX-HEADED SCRIPT: From the latter half of the 4th century A.D. in two records of Gupta dynasty this script was used. In the subsequent period we find the use of box-headed script in the records of the Vakatakas, the kings of Sarabhapuriyas and Kosala and in the copper-plates of the Nalas, the Kadambas and the Panduvamsis. The area where this script was developed includes Sagar district and Vidisha district of Madhya-Pradesh in Gupta period, eastern Malwa and Vidarbha in Vakataka age, South Kosala during Sarabhapuriya rule, Koraput-Baster area of Orissa during Nala rule, Vaijayanti or Banavasi area during Kadamba rule, and south Kosala during the rule of the Panduvamsis.
- 6. USAGE IN THE OFFICIALRECORDS: This unique featured box-headed script was used by some great ruling families. First of all, the Guptas, then followed by the Vakatakas, the Sarabhapuriyas, the Nalas, the Kadambas, and the Panduvamsis during 4th century A.D. to 7th century A.D.. But after 7th century A.D. this script was gradually disappeared or it is better to say become unavailable in the latter records. Of these ruling dynasties Samudragupta and Chandragupta II are the two famous Gupta kings who used some character of the box-headed script in their inscriptions. But later on the Vakataka kings like, Rudrasena I, Pravarasena II, Prithvisena II, Vindyasakti II, and queen Prabhavatigupta and their feudetories like Bharatabala and Vyaghradeva, the Nala kings like Arthapati-Bhattaraka, Bhavadattavarman, Tustikara; the Sarabhapuriya kings like Narendra, Jayaraja, Mahajayaraja, Sudevaraja, Pravararaja and Vyaghraraja.
- 7. The king of Panduvamsi of Mekala, Surabala, the kings of Panduvamsis of South Kosala like, Nannaraja, Tivaradeva, Sivagupta, and Sivagupta Balarjuna; the Kadamba king Santivarman [Fleet, IA. XXI, 93] used the box-headed script in their records. This script was not only used by these dynasties only but rather some minor ruling families of south Kosala like, Rajarshitulyakulas and Parvatadvarakas used the same script in their records. The development of box-headed script was not only seen in the official records of the above mentioned dynasty but also in their coins and seals we find the same alphabets. It means the development is not limited within the official records but also found on their coins and seals.
- 8. It is assumed that the box-headed character is also a kind of regional variation which is developed during the 4th century A.D to 7th century A.D. Variation means some change or peculiarity in letter forms. The writing materials, usage of different hand and writing tools are mainly responsible for this variation. This script was developed locally and emerged as a distinct writing style. This script was mostly used by the rulers of the Vakatakas, Sarbhapuriyas, Nalas, Panduvamsis etc. in their records. But there are no references of any special engraver or artisan class whose profession was to engrave box-headed character. If any special engraver or artisan class were existed for developing the same script then there is no reason should be left for the sudden decline of the script within three centuries.
- 9. The box-headed character was originated in the Gupta period in the latter half of 4th century A.D. and developed up to the 7th century A.D. and after that it disappeared from the epigraphical records. In conclusion we may say that the 'Box-headed' script was a new style of writing having square or sometime rectangular box at the left top of the letter, sometimes in both sides of the letter; was an artificial development of serif. It is developed mainly in eastern-central Deccan and in south.