Important Inscriptions & Edicts

INSCRIPTIONS BY ASHOKA

Lumbini Inscription • located in Nepal.

• known as Rummindei Inscription
• commemorative inscription recording
Ashoka’s visit to Buddha’s birth place
• talks about Tax Concession granted to

the residents of Lumbini to Honor lord

Buddha
Nigai Sagar Edict
• located in Nepal.
• Asoka called himself as Priyadarsin

• talks about the Enlargement Of Stupa

Kalsi Inscription • Located in Uttarakhand

• used Pali language and Brahmi script

• image of royal elephant on the edict

• detailed about humane approach by

Asoka post his conversion to Buddhism

Dhauli Inscription • known Santi Stupa/peace pagoda
• Located in Puri district, Odisha.
• located on the site of Kalinga war
• has a depiction of monumental rock cut
elephant.

By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]

 Kandahar Edict • Located at Shar-I-Kuna in Kandahar
• bilingual Greek-Aramaic inscription.
• information about his Dhamma policy.
• Shows the North – Western boundary of
Mauryan Empire.
Mansehra Edict • Lies in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Pakistan.
• used Prakrit and Kharoshti script.

• located near Karakoram highway on

the ancient Silk Route.
• mentioning the aspects of Dhamma.
Shahbazgarhi
Inscription • Located in Peshawar, Pakistan
• known as Polusha and Bazira in
ancient texts
• used Prakrit and Kharoshti script.
Jaugada Inscription • Situated on the bank of Rishikulya
river, Odisha
• two separate edicts are addressed to

the Mahamattas of Samapa

• presence of fort ruins suggest it was
probably a military centre
Maski Inscription • Located at Raichur Doab , Karnataka
• contained the name Ashoka instead of
the earlier edicts that referred him as
Devanampiye piyadasi.
• Asoka also referred as Buddhashakya

By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]

 OTHER IMPORTANT INSCRIPTIONS

Hathigumpha • by king Kharavela of Meghavahana

Inscription dynasty( 2nd century BC).
• located in Udayagiri hills, Odisha
• Mentions about the military expeditions

carried by Kharavela
• Mentions about the Kalinga invasion

of Mahapadma Nanda
• starts with Jain Navkar Mantra.
Sohgaura copper • located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
rd
plate inscription • by Chandra Gupta Maurya (3 BCE)

• inscription is in Brahmi script

• explain About the Great Famine and

relife measures taken

• records a royal order to distribute
grains carefully.
Besnagar/ Vidisha • Located in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.
nd
Inscription • belongs to Sunga period (2 BCE).
• constructed by Heloidorus, the Greek
ambassador who visited court of King
Bagabadra
• Written in Prakrit language and used
Brahmi script.
• inscription is devoted to lord Vasudev.
• Heloidorus called himself as "Param
Bagavata"
By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]
Naneghat Inscription • Located In Western Ghats, Pune
• issued during the reign of Shatakarni I
of the Satavahana Dynasty
• Composed by his queen Nayanika
• Mentions Satakarni-I as ‘Dhakhina
patha pathi’
• also carrying life size sculptures of
King Satkarni and queen
• mentions tax exemptions to Buddhist
monks
Nasik Inscription • Mentions about the achievement of
Gautamiputra Satkarni
• wrote by his mother Gautami Balasri
• Mentions about his victory over Saka
King Nahapana
• written in the form of a gadyakavya.
Karle cave • by Satavahana king Vashishtiputra
inscription Pulumayi
• caves were traditionally linked to the
Mahasanghika Buddhist sect
• mention about the grant of Karajika
village to budhist monks
Junagarh Inscription • Located at Girnar hills,Gujrat
• by king Rudraman of Saka dynasty
• First pure Sanskrit inscription
• used Sharda script, which later
developed into ‘Devnagiri’

By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]

 • earliest use of ‘Kavya style’ writing
• mention about the reconstruction of
Sudarshan lake
Bhattiprolu • located in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
inscription • issued during the Satavahanas
• Bhattiprolu script is a variant of the
Brahmi script
• major source of information about the
working of Nigama Sabhas
• mention that merchents were grouped
themselves into Nigama Sabha
Pugalur inscription • In Pugalur (near Karur),Tamil Nadu

• Chera Inscription of 1st century CE

• describe the names three generations

of Chera rulers
• written in Tamil-Brahmi, a variant of
the Brahmi script
Rabatak Inscription • located in Rabatak, Afganistan
• by king Kanishka of Kushan dynasty
• gives remarkable clues on the
genealogy of the Kushan dynasty
• written in the Bactrian language and

used Greek script

Eran Inscription • Located in Eran, Madhya Pradesh
• Eran mentioned as Airakina
• issued by Bhanugupta, Governor of
Malwa under Samudragupta
By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]
 • explains about military campigns of
Samudragupta
• known as Gopraj Sati Pillar
• first mention about the practice of sati

Allahabad • Issued by Samudragupta

Inscription • composed by his minister Harisena

• also known as Prayag Prashasti

• Written in refined Sanskrit in Champu
Kavya style
• used nagari script of Sanskrit
• Mentions about military conquest of

Samudragupta both in North & South

• called Samudragupta as Kaviraja

and Licchavi Dauhitra

Udaigiri cave
• at Udayagiri cave,Madhya Pradesh
inscription
• by Chandragupta II / Vikramaditya
• mention that Vikramaditya achieved

digvijaya(conquest of the whole world)

Mahrauli Iorn pillar • by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya

• originally at Vishnupada,Udayagiri

• Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script

• mentions Vikramaditya’s conquest over

Vanga countries and Vatakas

• Rust free - not corroded

By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]

 Mandasaur • located in Mandasaur district, M.P
Inscription • By Kumaragupta in 437-38 AD.
• Mentioned about the construction of
Sun temple.
• mention about Tantuvayas, guild of
silk-weavers
Uttaramerur • located in Kanchipuram,Tamil Nadu
Inscription • issued by Parantaka Ⅰ of Cholas
• describe about village administration
system of Chola empire
• mentions qualification for the election
of Chola village assembly.

Bansekara • Located in Shahjahanpur,UP

inscription • issued by King Harshavardhana
• contains the signature of Harsha.
• describes Harsha as Siva worshipper
• Mention the victory of Rajya vardhana
(brother of Harsha) over Malwa King
Devgupta
Aihole inscription • located at Meguti Jain temple in
Aihole, Karnataka
• also known as Aihole prashasti
• issued by Chalukya King Pulakesin II
• Composed by jain minister Ravikirti
• mention about the victory of Pulakesin
over Harsha
• in Sanksrit, used Kannada Script
By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]
 Badami cave
inscription • located at Badami cave, Karnataka
• issued by Chalukya King Mangalesha
• dedicated to his brother Kirtivarma I
• records the construction of Lanjishvara
or Maha-Vishnu-Griha cave temple

Kudumiyamalai • Pudukottai district, Tamil Nadu.

Inscription • Also Known as Mamandur inscription
• by MahendraVarman of Pallavas

• celebrated musical inscription -gives

the musical notes in 7 classical ragas.

• Speaks about Mahendra varman’s

achievements
Khalimpur Edict in Maldah district of West Bengal
• issued by Dharmapala of Pala Dynasty
• informs us about his military exploits
• mention that he controled Kanyakubja
(Kanuaj)
• describe himself as Uttarapatha
Swamin (Master Of Northern India)

By Ashif Abdulrahiman [Link]