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Q96 (CDS-I/2012) History & Culture › Ancient India › Ashokan edicts and Dhamma Answer Verified

Ashokan inscriptions of Mansehra and Shahbazgadhi are written in—

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

Ashokan inscriptions were primarily written in the Prakrit language [2]. While the majority of these Prakrit edicts utilized the Brahmi script, those located in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent, specifically at Mansehra and Shahbazgarhi (modern-day Pakistan), were written in the Kharoshthi script [3]. Kharoshthi was the dominant script in the Gandhara region during this period . Although Aramaic and Greek scripts were used for inscriptions further west in Afghanistan, the specific Major Rock Edicts at Mansehra and Shahbazgarhi maintained the Prakrit language but adapted the local Kharoshthi script for communication [3]. Some web sources incorrectly suggest Aramaic as the language for these sites, but historical consensus and primary book evidence confirm they are Prakrit inscriptions written in the Kharoshthi script [3].

Sources

  1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > THINK ABOUT IT > p. 105
  2. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > 7.1 Deciphering Brahmi > p. 46
  3. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > Languages and scripts > p. 32
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