Who among the following was the first to decipher the Ashokan

Who among the following was the first to decipher the Ashokan inscriptions?

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William Jones

John Marshall

James Prinsep

Alexander Cunningham

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UPSC Geoscientist – 2023

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James Prinsep was the first to decipher the Ashokan inscriptions.

James Prinsep, an English scholar and antiquary, deciphered the Brahmi script in 1837, which was used in most of the Ashokan inscriptions. This breakthrough was crucial for understanding the history and administration of the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka. William Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal. John Marshall oversaw the excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. Alexander Cunningham is considered the father of Indian archaeology and conducted extensive surveys of historical sites, including many related to Ashoka.

The Ashokan inscriptions are primarily written in the Brahmi script and the Prakrit language, although some inscriptions were found in other scripts and languages (e.g., Kharosthi in the northwest, Greek and Aramaic). Prinsep’s decipherment relied on identifying repeated patterns and correlating them with known names and titles from classical texts.

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