Question

Who was the first to succeed in reading the inscriptions of Ashoka?

Hint:

Associate James Prinsep with the decipherment of the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts. This achievement is a landmark in the rediscovery of ancient Indian history.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to name the individual who first deciphered the ancient scripts used in the edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The first person to successfully decipher the Ashokan inscriptions was James Prinsep, a British antiquary and scholar who was an official of the East India Company.
In 1837, Prinsep deciphered the Brahmi script, which was used for most of Ashoka's edicts. This breakthrough was monumental as it unlocked a vast amount of information about the Mauryan Empire and Ashoka's reign, including his policies on Dhamma, administration, and the spread of Buddhism. His work laid the foundation for the study of ancient Indian epigraphy and history.

Step 3: Final Answer:
James Prinsep was the first to succeed in reading the inscriptions of Ashoka.