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Difficulty: HardAncient Indian Civilizations and Early Empires

Consider the following statements regarding the epigraphical records and edicts of Emperor Ashoka:

1. The Major Rock Edicts found at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra were inscribed in the Kharosthi script written from right to left.
2. The Kandahar inscription discovered in Afghanistan is a bilingual inscription rendered in Greek and Aramaic.
3. The Ashokan edicts located in southern India, such as those at Erragudi and Maski, were inscribed using the early Tamil-Brahmi script.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 onlyAnswer
  2. B
    2 and 3 only
  3. C
    1 and 3 only
  4. D
    1, 2 and 3

Answer

Statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect.
The correct answer identifies that only the first and second statements are true. Ashoka's northwestern rock edicts at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra were inscribed in Kharosthi (written right-to-left), and the Kandahar inscription was written in both Greek and Aramaic. The third statement is incorrect because Mauryan edicts across peninsular India used standard Brahmi script to write Prakrit, not Tamil-Brahmi.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Statement 1 regarding Northwestern Ashokan edicts and script.
The Major Rock Edicts located at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra (in present-day Pakistan) were written in the Kharosthi script, derived from Aramaic and written from right to left. Statement 1 is correct.
Mauryan scribes adapted local scripts for border regions to ensure public readability.
2
Analyze Statement 2 regarding the Kandahar edict.
The Shar-i-Kuna / Kandahar inscription in Afghanistan is a famous bilingual rock inscription written in Greek and Aramaic for the local Hellenistic and Aramaic-speaking populations. Statement 2 is correct.
Ashoka issued decrees in Greek and Aramaic to communicate moral precepts (Dhamma) to the frontier subjects of the former Seleucid territories.
3
Analyze Statement 3 regarding southern Indian Ashokan inscriptions.
The edicts at Erragudi, Maski, Brahmagiri, and Nitur in southern India were written in the Prakrit language using standard Brahmi script (with Erragudi displaying boustrophedon writing style). Tamil-Brahmi was utilized primarily for cave inscriptions of Sangam merchants and Jain monks in the Tamil region outside direct Mauryan provincial administration. Statement 3 is incorrect.
Distinguishing between pan-Indian Brahmi edicts of the Mauryas and regional Tamil-Brahmi epigraphy is essential for accuracy in ancient Indian paleography.

Key Concept

Epigraphical diversity and regional script adaptations of Ashokan Edicts
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Topics

Ancient Indian Civilizations and Early Empires

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