The correct answer is (d). James Prinsep was the first to have successfully read the Ashokan inscriptions.
Charles Wilkins was a British linguist who was the first European to learn Sanskrit. He did not, however, succeed in reading the Ashokan inscriptions.
Daya Ram Sahani was an Indian archaeologist who worked on the excavation of the Ashokan pillars. He did not, however, succeed in reading the inscriptions on the pillars.
Rakhal Das Banerjee was an Indian scholar who was interested in the history of India. He did not, however, succeed in reading the Ashokan inscriptions.
James Prinsep was a British officer who served in the East India Company. He was also a linguist and an archaeologist. In 1837, he was able to decipher the Brahmi script, which was used to write the Ashokan inscriptions. This was a major breakthrough in the study of Indian history.
The Ashokan inscriptions are a series of edicts that were issued by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. The inscriptions are written in Brahmi script and are found on pillars, rocks, and caves throughout India. The inscriptions provide valuable information about Ashoka’s reign, his policies, and his religious beliefs.