Several attempts have been made to study the paleography of the inscriptions of ancient and medieval India. G. Buhler, A.C. Burnell, G.S. Ojha, C. Sivaramamurti, and A.H. Dani are the Scholars who have studied the evolution of the scripts in India. Of them, Burnell and Sivaramamurti concentrated on South Indian paleography. Though a large number of inscriptions have been published in different journals and monographs, carly Andhra's paleography, as such is still a subject of serious study.
An attempt has been made to examine the nature and content of the inscriptions from c. 3" century B.C. to 3 century A.D. i.e., from the Maurya to the Iksvaku period and to trace the evolution of the Brahmi script in Andhrudesa. Palaeographically early Andhra inscriptions can be grouped into four phases. But the world-famous Buddhist center Amaravati has its own specific identity and we find in it both archaic as well as late stages of the Brahmi script. Some inscribed potsherds from Salihundam and coins issued from c. 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. in Andhradeśa were also taken for discussion.
The main idea in taking up this study is to underscore the palaeographical part of the inscriptions and to date them. The post-Asokan and pre-Gupta inscriptions are assigned to different dates on various considerations, one of which is paleography as well. This can be substantiated, if the issuers of the inscriptions were royal personages. In the case of private records, it is very difficult to assign a date. But the totality of the inscriptions in Andhra is construed to date the private records and also a comparative study has been undertaken to fix the dates of the inscriptions need not be considered as final, and they are subject to correction. in the light of discoveries or different interpretations that can be advanced.
The method of study runs parallel to that adopted by TP. Verma in his work entitled The Palaeography of Brahml Script in North India while traces the evolution of the North Indian scripts of the post-Asokan period. C.S. Upasak's book, The History and Palaeography of Mauryan Brahmi Script is also found very helpful in carrying out the present work.
The work is presented in nine Chapters. Chapter I includes an introduction and the historical background of the study. The history of the pre-Satavahana period is highlighted given the recent discoveries at Kopalingala. Otherwise, the Asokan rule, Early and Later Satavahana authority followed by the Iksvakus is narrated with the help of inscriptions, coins, and Puranic literature. From the evolution of the script, it is felt to study the history of the Satavahanas whose rule began in the I century B.C.
In the Second Chapter, an attempt is made to examine the type of materials used for the writing of inscriptions, such as stones, pot sherds, conch shells, and terracotta objects.
The Third chapter entitled 'Epigraphical formulae of the records' examined the different types of Initiation, Invocation, Benediction, and Imprecation that we meet with and also the various ways of concluding the inscriptions by giving suitable examples.
The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh chapters are the core Chapters that trace the paleography of the stone inscriptions .e. Adokan Edicts, Pre-Satavahana inscriptions, Satavahana inscriptions, and Iksvaku inscriptions
