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Ashoka's inscriptions

Today in this Artivala we are going to tell you about the inscription of Ashoka.

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Records of Ashoka

  • More than 40 inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka have been received so far.
  • These inscriptions help a lot in determining the extent of his empire as well as giving information about important things related to his religion and administration.
  • The small inscription of Gurjara and the minor inscription of Maski are the only two inscriptions in which the name of Ashoka is found.
  • The inscriptions of Ashoka can be described in three sections-
  1. inscription.
  2. column articles
  3. cavity article.

inscriptions and inscriptions

The inscriptions, popularly known as the Chaturdashi inscriptions of Ashoka, are a group of 14 different inscriptions found from eight different places.

  1. Shahbazgarhi, (located in Peshawar Pakistan)
  2. Mansehra (located in Hazara, West Pakistan)
  3. Kalsi (located in Dehradun, West Uttarakhand)
  4. Girnar (located near Junagadh in Kathiawar, Gujarat)
  5. Jaugarh (located in Ganjam district of Odisha)
  6. Dhauli ,(located in Puri district of Odisha)
  7. Yerragudi (located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh)
  8. Sopara (located in Thane district of Maharashtra)

Small inscription

This inscription is not included in the main class of 14 inscriptions and hence they are called minor inscriptions. These are received from the following places

  1. Rupnath (located in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh)
  2. Gurjra (located in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh)
  3. Sasaram (Bihar)
  4. Bhabru (Vairat, located in Jaipur district of Rajasthan)
  5. Masky (located in Raichur district of Karnataka)
  6. Brahhagiri (located in Chittaldurge district of Karnataka)
  7. Siddhapur (1 mile west of Brahagiri)
  8. Palanki Gundu (4 miles from Gavimath in Raichur district of Karnataka)
  9. Rajul Mandagiri (located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh)
  10. Ahraura (located in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh)
  • An Ashoka inscription has been found at a place called Satrati, located in Gulbarga district of Karnataka, which was discovered by the employees of the Archaeological Survey of India in January 1989.

column text

Although the number of inscriptions under Ashoka Sapta Stambhlekha is seven, but it has been found engraved on stone pillars in 6 different places. Here it is-

Delhi-Meerut

It was first in Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) and later brought to Delhi by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.

Lauria Areraj

This pillar article is located at Lauria-Areraj near Radhia in West Champaran district of Bihar.

Rampurwa

This pillar inscription has also been found in Champaran Bihar.

short column-text

The pillars on which the official announcements of Ashoka are engraved are generally called inscriptions in the small pillar. It is found from the following places-

  1. Sanchi (Raisena District, Madhya Pradesh)
  2. Sarnath (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
  3. Kaushambi (Kosam near Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh)
  4. Rummindei (near Parariya village in the Terai of Nepal)
  5. Nigliv (located on the banks of a large lake called Nigli Sagar, about 13 miles northwest of Rummindei in the foothills of Nepal)
  • In Kaushambi's small pillar-inscription, Ashoka orders his Mahamatrao to stop the division of the Sangh.
  • Rummindei pillar inscription details Ashoka's pilgrimage to this place.
  • Niglive's article discusses the enrichment of Kanakamuni's stupa.

Inscriptions - Important things engraved in inscriptions

  • In the inscriptions of Dhauli and Jaugarh it is written – All human beings are my children………….
  • Girnar inscription shows that Ashoka has established separate hospitals for humans and animals.
  • Rummindei inscription- the only inscription which deals with taxation. Ashoka's visit to Lumbini in the year 20 of Abhishek and the land tax there was reduced to 1\8 .
  • DR Bhandarkar wrote the history of Ashoka only on the basis of inscriptions.
  • Almost all the inscriptions of Ashoka are written in Prakrit language and in Brahmi script. But the script of Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra inscriptions is Kharoshthi, while the inscriptions obtained from Taxila and Laghman are written in Aramaic script.
  • Inscriptions from a place called Shere-Kuna near Kandahar have Greek and Aramaic scripts.
  • The name of Ashoka is found in the writings of Maski, Gurjara, Leadership Ude Golam.
  • In addition to Ashoka, inscriptions of Samudragupta and Akbar's courtier Birbal are found on the Allahabad Pillar inscription.
  • In Bhabru inscription Ashoka has expressed his faith in Buddhist texts and in this also mention of Ashoka's Dhamma is found.

Key figures carved in the pillars of Ashoka:

  • Basad Pillar :Singh,
  • Sankisa :Elephant,
  • Rampurwa :bull,
  • Lauria Nandangarh :Singh,
  • Sanchi:Char Singh,
  • Sarnath:The pillars are engraved with the figures of Gaja, Bel, and Lion.
  • Brahmi script was written from left to right and Kharoshthi script was written from right to left. But in the Erragudi inscription of Ashoka, Brahi script is written from right to left.
  • In the fifth pillar inscription, Ashoka prohibits the slaughter of various animals, burning of forests, feeding one creature to another, fishing on certain days, castration of animals, scarring of cattle and horses. Some article mentions that 25 prisoners have been released for 26 years since the time of coronation.
  • The longest column article of Ashoka is his seventh article. His shortest article is located in Rummindei.
  • Ashok in his short column writings of Sanchi, Sarnath and Kaushambi orders to stop the confederacy of his Mahamatro.
  • The language of Ashoka's inscriptions was in Sanskrit and it was the language of the common people at that time.
  • The capital of the provinces of Ashoka is mentioned in the inscriptions of Dhauli and God.

inscription theme

first

Prohibition on killing of animals and fruitless festivals. Every day only two peacocks and one deer were ordered to be killed for the royal kitchen.

second

Medical missions were sent in all directions, trees were planted, roads were built and wells were dug.

third

Order to visit Yukta, Rajjuk and Pradeshik every fifth year for inspection in the state and order to join hands in the work of spreading Dhamma. Kindness to brahmins and respect to friends and parents.

fourth

Bheri Ghosh was replaced by Dhamma Ghosh.

fifth

Dhammamahamtras were appointed in 13 years of rule.

sixth

He is available anytime, anywhere and for quick disposal of any matter.

seventh

A call for tolerance among all sects.

eighth

Description of Dhamma Yatras, Ashoka's visit to Bodh Gaya.

ninth

All rituals except Dhamma are meaningless. Respect for slaves and servants in Dhamma.

tenth

He doesn't aspire to be famous, people just follow Dhamma.

eleventh

Emphasis on Charity

outside

Emphasis on the essence of Dharma by Ashoka.

thirteenth

Victory over Kalinga, killing one lakh and destroying the lives of many people.


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