Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Part I History Literature &c. 1896

Of all the Niigari copper-plates inscriptions and manuscripts Mit have been discovered up to date the copper-plate of the Gurjara king Dadda-praciinta-raga which has been found in Bagnmra and which bears the date of 415 9aka is the most ancient.1 The whole of the copper-plate is inscribed in the then-used Gujarati (cave-character) except towards the close where there is the king's sign manual [...] Subsequent to the coppeplate of the above-mentioned Dadda the Niigartiksara is again observed in the coppe-plate of the Sauriistra king Jiiirika-dova dated 794 Savat (737 A. D.) which was discovered in the village of Dhiniki on the sea-coast at the south-east of Dvarakapuri. [...] Indeed the circulation of Nagaraksara came to be wider owing to the efforts and exertions of the subsequent Ritgrakfita kings of Gujarat.s The gradual development of the Nagarakiiara is regularly observed in the following copper-plates :— The likeness of I dh n a and some other letters of the coppeplate of Dhruva II although inscribed in the most ancient Nagarak9ara can be traced to the Gu [...] The name 'Ananda-purr' is only seen in the coppeplates of the 4th 5th and 6th centuries A. D. The Jaina-Kalpafar(' states that in response to the orders of the Valabhi king Dhruva-sana the Kalpa-sutra was read out before the public in the city of Anandtt-pura. [...] Now the question is although about the 4th or 5th century we find tho mention of the Nagari-lipi in the Nandi-sutra what is the cause of the name Nagara not being mentioned in inscriptions or copper-plates of that time except in the Nagara-khancla ? It seems probable that during the rule of the Valabhi kings none of the royal officers who belonged to different religions or orders recognised t