Editing Palaeography (section)

=== North India ===
[[File:Rigveda MS2097.jpg|thumb|[[Rigveda]] manuscript in [[Devanagari]] (early 19th century)]]
{{See also|Kharosthi|Devanagari}}
In north India, the Brahmi script was used over a vast area; however, [[Ashoka]]n inscriptions are also found using [[Kharoshthi]], [[Aramaic]] and [[Greek script]]s. With the advent of the [[Saka]]-[[Western Kshatrapas|Kshatrapas]] and the [[Kushan Empire|Kushanas]] as political powers in north India, the writing system underwent a definite change due to the use of new writing tools and techniques. Further development of the Brahmi script and perceivable changes in its evolutionary trend can be discerned during the Gupta period: in fact, the [[Gupta script]] is considered to be the successor of the Kushana script in north India.

From the 6th to about the 10th century, the inscriptions in north India were written in a script variously named, e.g., Siddhamatrika and Kutila ("Rañjanā script"). From the 8th century, Siddhamatrika developed into the [[Śāradā script]] in [[Kashmir]] and [[Punjab region|Punjab]], into [[Bengali language|Proto-Bengali]] or Gaudi in [[Bengal]] and [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], and into [[Devanagari|Nagari]] in other parts of north India. [[Nagari script]] was used widely in northern India from the 10th century onwards. The use of [[Nandinagari]], a variant of Nagari script, is mostly confined to the [[Karnataka]] region.

In central India, mostly in [[Madhya Pradesh]], the inscriptions of the [[Vakatakas]], and the kings of [[Sharabhapuriya dynasty|Sarabhapura]] and [[Dakshina Kosala|Kosala]] were written in what are known as "box-headed" and "nail-headed" characters. It may be noted that the early [[Kadambas]] of [[Karnataka]] also employed "nail-headed" characters in some of their inscriptions. During the 3rd–4th century, the script used in the inscriptions of [[Ikshvaku dynasty|Ikshvakus]] of [[Nagarjunakonda]] developed a unique style of letter-forms with elongated verticals and artistic flourishes, which did not continue after their rule.<ref name="Indi" />