Who deciphered the Brahmi script of Ashoka's inscriptions in 1837?
- A.William Jones
- B.James Prinsep
- C.Alexander Cunningham
- D.John Marshall
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, James Prinsep. James Prinsep, secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, worked out the values of Brahmi letters and published his reading in 1837, which made the edicts speak. The inscriptions call their author Devanampiya Piyadasi, and it was only later, after the Maski and Gujarra edicts were found with the name Ashoka in them, that the king of the edicts was firmly identified with the Ashoka of Buddhist tradition.
Option A, William Jones, founded the Asiatic Society in 1784 and worked on Sanskrit, but not on Brahmi. Option C, Alexander Cunningham, became the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1861 and surveyed many of the sites, after the script had been read. Option D, John Marshall, headed the Survey in the early twentieth century and is linked with Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. The date 1837 belongs to Prinsep.
Read the full article: Ancient Bihar: Magadha, Mauryas, Guptas and Pataliputra
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