This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... THE INDIAN EMPIRE VOLUME II HISTORICAL CHAPTER I EPIGRAPHY /. Introductory Note The subject of this contribution to the Imperial Gazetteer Introducis the explanation of the nature and value of the epigraphic tOTy noteor inscriptional bases of Indian research for the pre-Musalman period. And the topic is an important one; for, not only is India particularly rich in inscriptional remains, but also those remains are the only sure grounds of historical results in every line of research connected with its ancient past. We have, however, to exclude from our treatment of this subject one branch which has always been found more generally attractive than any of the others. The inscriptions on coins and gems, better termed, by way of avoiding confusion, 'legends' on coins and gems, are epigraphic materials. But they are a special class of such materials; and the treatment of them falls, most properly, under the subdivision of pumismatology. We have to confine our attention here to those epigraphic remains which have come to be best known as 'inscriptions' by way of distinction from the numismatic materials. Nevertheless, we hope to be' able to show that our topic is no dry and dull one, but is full of interest as well as importance. The inscriptions, thus indicated as our topic, are notifications, very frequently of an official character, and generally more or less of a public nature, which recite facts, simple or complex, with or without dates, and were intended to be lasting records of the matters to which they refer. They are in almost all cases found engraved, not written. They were occasionally engraved VOL. II. B upon monuments in the shape of great monolithic columns; as, for instance, in the case of some of the moral and religious edicts...