Question

Language used in the inscriptions of Ashoka is ________.

Answer 1

Hint: The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of over thirty inscriptions on pillars, boulders, and cave walls that are attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire, who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. To describe his Edicts, Ashoka used the phrase Dhama Lipi.

Complete answer:
The Major Rock Edicts of Ashoka refers to 14 distinct major Edicts that are extremely detailed and extensive. These Edicts dealt with practical instructions for running the kingdom, such as irrigation system design and descriptions of Ashoka's beliefs in peaceful moral behaviour. They contain very little personal information about his life. The preceding edicts are listed in chronological order.

Prakrit, Greek, and Aramaic were the languages used. The edicts are written in non-standard and archaic Prakrit. Prakrit inscriptions were written in Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts, which were easy for the average person to read and understand. The inscriptions discovered in Pakistan are written in the Kharosthi script. The rest of the Edicts are written in Greek or Aramaic.

Except for the Kandahar Greek Edict of Ashoka, which is written on a stone plaque attached to a building, the Major Rock Edicts of Ashoka are inscribed on large rocks. The Major Edicts are not located in the heartland of Mauryan territory, which is traditionally centred on Bihar, but rather on the borders of Ashoka's territory.

Thus the correct answer is Prakrit, Greek, and Aramaic.

Note: Many such inscriptions proclaim Ashoka's belief in Buddhist philosophy, which is known as dharma, or "Law" in Hinduism. His efforts to spread the Buddhist dharma throughout his kingdom are reflected in the inscriptions. Although Buddhism and Gautama Buddha are mentioned, the edicts are more concerned with social and moral precepts than with specific religious practices or the philosophical dimension of Buddhism.