When did Emperor Ashoka rule the Maurya Empire?
Emperor Ashoka ruled most of the Indian subcontinent between 268 BCE and 232 BCE. He issued official commands from stone slabs in places like Old Kandahar during this period.
Questions about Edicts of Ashoka
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who translated the ancient Brahmi script used in Edicts of Ashoka?
British archaeologist James Prinsep published results in March 1838 that changed history forever by translating inscriptions on large numbers of rock edicts scattered across India. He completed the task with help from Major Cunningham after Christian Lassen made initial progress in 1836 using bilingual coins of King Agathocles.
What are the four distinct groups of Edicts of Ashoka based on size and material?
Scholars divide the Edicts into Minor Rock Edicts, Major Rock Edicts, Minor Pillar Edicts, and Major Pillar Edicts. Minor Rock Edicts appear at the beginning of Ashoka's reign while Major Pillar Edicts consist of seven detailed messages carved at the end of his reign between 237 and 236 BCE.
Which Hellenistic rulers received emissaries from Emperor Ashoka according to Major Rock Edict Number Thirteen?
Major Rock Edict Number Thirteen names five Hellenistic rulers including Antiochus II who ruled from Syria to Bactria between 305 BCE and 250 BCE. Ptolemy II Philadelphos governed Egypt from 285 BCE until 247 BCE and Antigonus II Gonatas held Macedonia from 278 BCE to 239 BCE.
When did the Brahmi script used for Edicts of Ashoka become readable again after extinction?
Scripts like Brahmi and Kharoshthi had become extinct around the 5th century CE before British archaeologist James Prinsep published results in March 1838 that changed history forever. The Brahmi script stayed readable down to the 4th century CE during the Gupta period for nearly seven hundred years.