Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?
Solution & Analysis
Answer: B
Concept
The decipherment of ancient scripts is a turning point in reconstructing the history of the Indian subcontinent.Explanation
James Prinsep, an officer in the Mint of the East India Company, deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts in 1837. This allowed historians to read Ashoka's inscriptions and identify 'Piyadasi' as the great Mauryan King Ashoka.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: James Prinsep used bilingual coins (Greek and Kharosthi) to bridge the gap and eventually decode the Brahmi script used in most edicts.
Logic 2: Other scholars like William Jones or Max Muller made significant contributions to Indology but were not the ones to decipher Ashoka's edicts.