Ashokan Inscriptions
Ancient History › Mauryan Empire · Topic 6.8
Ashoka’s inscriptions, the earliest royal records that speak directly to the people, are classed as Major Rock Edicts, Minor Rock Edicts, Separate (Kalinga) Rock Edicts, Major Pillar Edicts and Minor Pillar Edicts. Found in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan, they are written in Prakrit in Brahmi, Kharoshthi, Aramaic and Greek, and reveal his policy and the extent of the empire.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Mauryan Empire
At a Glance
- Types Major and Minor Rock, Separate Rock, Major and Minor Pillar
- Count 39 inscriptions at 47 places (one count)
- Scripts Brahmi, Kharoshthi, Aramaic, Greek
- Language Prakrit; Greek in Afghanistan
- Title Devanampiya piyadasi
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Ancient History: Mauryan Empire
Where Does It Fit?
This is the eighth topic of the category on the Mauryan Empire. The previous topic covered dhamma, and this one covers the edicts that record it. The next topic covers Mauryan art and architecture. Previous topic: Ashoka’s Dhamma and Internal Policy.
What Types of Inscriptions Did Ashoka Issue?
In short: the edicts are classified by form and place, and together they are the most concrete source of Mauryan history.
The history of Ashoka is reconstructed from his inscriptions, which are classified into Major Rock Edicts, Minor Rock Edicts, Separate Rock Edicts, Major Pillar Edicts and Minor Pillar Edicts. One account counts 39 inscriptions found at 47 places, with a total of 182 versions, including two considered spurious. Another account counts 33 edicts, comprising 14 Major Rock Edicts, two Kalinga edicts, seven Pillar Edicts, some Minor Rock Edicts and a few Minor Pillar inscriptions. The two counts differ in method. Ashoka was the first Indian king to speak directly to the people through inscriptions that carry royal orders. They throw light on his career, internal and external policies and the extent of the empire. They are called dhammalipi because they cover religion and morality as well as social and administrative matters. The policy they record is explained in Ashoka’s Dhamma and Internal Policy.
| Type | Notes |
|---|---|
| Major Rock Edicts | Fourteen edicts at sites from Kandahar and Shahbazgarhi to Girnar, Sopara, Dhauli and Erragudi |
| Separate (Kalinga) Rock Edicts | Two edicts for Kalinga, addressed to officers and city magistrates, including at Tosali |
| Minor Rock Edicts | Include the edict that names Ashoka |
| Pillar Edicts | Seven Major Pillar Edicts on stone pillars from Chunar sandstone |
| Minor Pillar Inscriptions | Include Lumbini in Nepal |
Where and in Which Scripts Are They Found?
Ashokan inscriptions have been found in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They appear at forty-seven places, and those on ancient highways have been found at six places in Afghanistan. The Major Rock Edicts extend from Kandahar in Afghanistan and Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra in north-west Pakistan to Uttarakhand in the north, Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west, Odisha in the east and as far south as Karnataka and Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. The edicts were composed in Prakrit and written in the Brahmi script in most of the subcontinent. In the north-west, they appear in Kharoshthi script and in Aramaic language, and in Afghanistan in both Aramaic and Greek. Nineteen Ashokan inscriptions have been found in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The spread of the sites essentially defines the extent of Ashoka’s empire. The second Major Rock Edict mentions lands beyond his borders: the Cholas, Pandyas, Satiyaputa, Keralaputa and Tamraparni, and the Yona king Antiyoka with his neighbouring kings. Ashoka’s multi-script, multi-lingual inscriptions let him communicate with literate people, and he respected non-Indian scripts such as Kharoshthi, Aramaic and Greek.
| Region | Script and language |
|---|---|
| Most of India and Nepal | Prakrit in Brahmi |
| North-west Pakistan (Shahbazgarhi, Mansehra) | Kharoshthi script |
| Afghanistan (Kandahar and other sites) | Aramaic and Greek |
How Were the Edicts Deciphered and What Do They Tell Us?
All the edicts begin with a reference to a great king, “devanampiya piyadasi”. Devanampiya, “dear to the gods”, was a title also adopted by his ancestors, but piyadasi, “good looking”, appears to be his own. His personal name Ashoka occurs only in four copies of Minor Rock Edict I, at three places in Karnataka and one in Madhya Pradesh, and not in the inscriptions of north or north-west India. The reconstruction of the period became possible largely after James Prinsep deciphered Brahmi in 1837, and the decisive identification of devanampiya piyadasi with Ashoka was made in 1915, when an edict calling him devanampiya Ashoka was read. These inscriptions were the oldest historical artefacts found in India in the nineteenth century, until the Indus towns were excavated.
The edicts reveal the Kalinga war in Major Rock Edict 13, the system of rajukas and dhammamahamatras, the policy of tolerance, welfare measures and missions to Greek kings and to Sri Lanka. They also show Brahmi as the script used in most of the subcontinent. As an analytical point, edicts are official statements: they show what the king wanted people to hear and what he claimed, so they must be read along with archaeology and other sources, such as in Megasthenes Epigraphic source Ashokan edicts Literary Mudrarakshasa, Puranas, Buddhist and…">Sources for the Study of the Mauryan Empire. The role of inscriptions in general is in Inscriptions as a Source of Ancient Indian History, and the Iranian roots of Kharoshthi are in Iranian Invasion of North-West India and its Results.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Source questions Classification and scripts
- Empire extent Find-spots
- Methodology Epigraphy
What Came Next?
The next topic describes Mauryan art and architecture. Next topic: Mauryan Art and Architecture.
Key People and Terms
- Dhammalipi Edicts of dhamma
- Brahmi Main script of the edicts
- Kharoshthi Script of the north-west
- Devanampiya Dear to the gods
- Piyadasi Good looking
- Minor Rock Edict I Edict naming Ashoka
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Five types: Major and Minor Rock, Separate Rock, Major and Minor Pillar.
- Name Ashoka appears in four copies of Minor Rock Edict I.
- Identified with Ashoka in 1915.
- Brahmi deciphered in 1837.
- Kandahar: Greek and Aramaic.
Do Not Confuse With
- Major and Minor Rock Edicts Fourteen long edicts versus shorter records
- Kharoshthi and Brahmi Right to left versus left to right
- Devanampiya and piyadasi Common title versus his special title
Memory Hook
Rock and pillar, Brahmi and Kharoshthi; Kandahar in Greek, Aramaic; the name Ashoka only four times.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for the value of the edicts as sources. These points add depth.
- Range Four countries
- Policy Dhamma
- Limits Official voice
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the importance of Ashokan inscriptions as a source of history.”
How to Answer
- Types Five classes.
- Places Four countries.
- Scripts Brahmi, Kharoshthi.
- Evidence Policy, extent.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main types of Ashokan inscriptions?
Ashokan inscriptions are classified into Major Rock Edicts, Minor Rock Edicts, Separate Rock Edicts, Major Pillar Edicts and Minor Pillar Edicts. One count lists 39 inscriptions at 47 places, while another lists 33 edicts, including 14 Major Rock Edicts, two Kalinga edicts and seven Pillar Edicts.
In which scripts and languages are the Ashokan edicts written?
Most edicts are in Prakrit written in the Brahmi script. In north-west Pakistan they are in Kharoshthi script, and in Afghanistan they appear in both Aramaic and Greek, which shows Ashoka addressed literate people of different communities.
Where does Ashoka's personal name occur in the inscriptions?
The name Ashoka occurs only four times, in copies of Minor Rock Edict I found at three places in Karnataka and one in Madhya Pradesh. Other inscriptions use only the titles devanampiya piyadasi, so the identification with Ashoka was made in 1915.
Who deciphered the Brahmi script of Ashoka's inscriptions?
James Prinsep deciphered the Brahmi script of the inscriptions at Sanchi in 1837, which made the reconstruction of Mauryan history possible. These edicts were the oldest historical artefacts found in India in the nineteenth century until the Indus towns were excavated.
What do the Ashokan inscriptions tell us about the extent of the empire?
The find-spots, from Kandahar in the north-west to Odisha in the east and Karnataka and Kurnool in the south, define the extent of the empire. Nineteen inscriptions come from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while the extreme south and east lay outside the empire.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Most Ashokan edicts are in Prakrit written in the Brahmi script.
North-west Pakistan used Kharoshthi.
2 Ashoka's personal name appears in all his inscriptions.
It appears only in four copies of Minor Rock Edict I.
3 The inscriptions at Kandahar are in Greek and Aramaic.
They show multilingual communication.
4 James Prinsep deciphered Kharoshthi in 1837.
He deciphered Brahmi in 1837.
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