Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2016 UPSC Prelims History paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims History?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims History, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2016 question covers Mauryan Empire – Administration, Economy & Ashoka topic.

Q: What is the difficulty level of this question?

This UPSC Prelims 2016 History question has a medium difficulty level and is marked as an important question and is one of the most repeated questions.

Q: Where can I find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions?

You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: B — James PrinsepSolution:James Prinsep (1799–1840), a British civil servant and orientalist who served as Assay Master of the Calcutta and Benares mints, made one of the greatest contributions to Indian historical scholarship. In 1837, he successfully deciphered the Brahmi script used in Emperor Ashoka's edicts — specifically the inscriptions on the Delhi Topra pillar. This breakthrough allowed historians to read Ashokan inscriptions for the first time in over a millennium, revealing the extraordinary humanitarian and governance philosophy of Ashoka, and establishing key chronological anchors for ancient Indian history. Prinsep identified the language as early Prakrit written in Brahmi script and discovered that the inscriptions referred to 'Devanampiya Piyadassi' — identified as Emperor Ashoka.Why other options are incorrect:Option A (Georg Buhler): Georg Bühler was a prominent German Indologist who contributed to Sanskrit scholarship and Indian epigraphy, but he did not first decipher Ashokan edicts. That work was done by Prinsep decades earlier.Option C (Max Muller): Friedrich Max Müller was the great German philologist who edited the Rig Veda and pioneered comparative religion/mythology — not Ashokan epigraphy.Option D (William Jones): Sir William Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784) and famously identified the Indo-European language family — but he predated Prinsep and did not decipher Brahmi/Ashokan inscriptions.Key Concept: James Prinsep's decipherment of Brahmi (1837) was a watershed in Indian historical reconstruction — comparable in significance to Champollion's decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics (1822). It enabled: reading of all Ashokan pillar and rock edicts across India/Nepal/Pakistan/Afghanistan; dating of Ashokan period and synchronising it with Greek records; understanding Mauryan administration, Buddhist spread, and social policies. The Brahmi script is the ancestor of virtually all modern South and Southeast Asian scripts including Devanagari, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Sinhala, Thai, and Khmer. Prinsep also deciphered Kharosthi script (used in northwestern India). His contributions are commemorated by the Prinsep Ghat in Kolkata.

Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Mauryan Empire – Administration, Economy & Ashoka

Frequently Asked Questions

Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Mauryan Empire – Administration, Economy & Ashoka

Frequently Asked Questions