Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?
- A.Georg Bühler
- B.James Prinsep
- C.Max Müller
- D.William Jones
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, James Prinsep. In 1837 Prinsep, an officer of the East India Company's mint and secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, deciphered the Brahmi script in which most of Ashoka's edicts are written.
He worked from short donor inscriptions at Sanchi, where the same closing words repeated, and cracked the alphabet letter by letter. The edicts kept naming a king called "Devanampiya Piyadasi", beloved of the gods, and only later, in 1915, did the Maski inscription, which names Ashoka directly, confirm that Piyadasi was Ashoka. Prinsep also made progress with the Kharosthi script of the north-west.
A is wrong: Georg Bühler later did important work on Indian scripts and edited Ashokan texts, but after Prinsep.
C is wrong: Max Müller was a scholar of the Vedas and comparative religion.
D is wrong: William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in 1784 and died in 1794, long before the decipherment.
Exam tip: Brahmi deciphered by James Prinsep, 1837; the Maski edict (1915) first names Ashoka; Asiatic Society founded by William Jones, 1784.
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following statements :
After forming the Indian National Army, Subhas Chandra Bose
1. recruited a large number of soldiers from the Indian Prisoners of War in Japanese camp
2. introduced a women's detachment named after the Rani of Jhansi
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
The INA drew its soldiers largely from Indian prisoners of war held by Japan, and Bose created the Rani of Jhansi Regiment for women.
Read the full explanation →François Bernier was physician to
- A.Prince Murad
- B.Princess Jahanara
- C.Emperor Shah Jahan
- D.Prince Dara Shikoh
Show answer
The French doctor François Bernier served as physician to Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan's eldest son. Bernier reached India in 1658, in the middle of the war of succession among Shah Jahan's sons.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements about the Rowlatt Act of 1919 :
1. It was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council.
2. Khilafat Committee was formed to oppose the Act.
3. While Gandhiji was arrested, the local leaders were allowed to continue the protest.
How many of the above statements is/are NOT correct ?
- A.One
- B.Two
- C.Three
- D.None
Show answer
Statement 1 is correct, but statements 2 and 3 are not. The Rowlatt Act of March 1919, based on the Sedition Committee chaired by Justice S. A. T. Rowlatt, was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council even though every elected Indian member opposed it.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following in Congress represented the socialist view?
- A.Rajendra Prasad
- B.Narendra Dev
- C.Maulana Azad
- D.Sardar Patel
Show answer
Acharya Narendra Dev was a founder and leading thinker of the Congress Socialist Party, the socialist group inside the Congress.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following eras in early India :
1. Shaka era 2. Kalachuri era 3. Vikrama era 4. Harsha era 5. Gupta era
Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the above eras starting with the earliest ?
- A.1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
- B.3 - 1 - 5 - 2 - 4
- C.2 - 3 - 1 - 4 - 5
- D.3 - 1 - 2 - 5 - 4
Show answer
Arranged by the year each era begins, the order is Vikrama, Shaka, Kalachuri, Gupta and Harsha. The Vikrama era (Vikram Samvat) begins in 57 BCE and is still used in much of north and west India.
Read the full explanation →