SSC
The Maski inscription, the first edict found to mention the name 'Ashoka', is located in which state?
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Answer: Option D — Karnataka
Detailed Solution
The Maski inscription is located at Maski, in the Raichur district of Karnataka.
About the Maski inscription:
It is a Minor Rock Edict of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE).
It was discovered in 1915 by C. Beadon, a British gold-mining engineer.
It is written in the Prakrit language using the Brahmi script.
It was the first inscription found to mention Ashoka by name. It refers to him as "Devanampiya Asoka" ("Ashoka, beloved of the gods").
Most of Ashoka's other inscriptions refer to him only by his titles, "Devanampiya Piyadasi" ("beloved of the gods, of pleasing appearance").
This discovery confirmed that the "Piyadasi" of the inscriptions was the same person as the Emperor Ashoka described in Buddhist literature.
Other inscriptions that mention Ashoka by name were later found at Gujarra (Madhya Pradesh), Nittur and Udegolam (both in Karnataka).
Maski is also an important prehistoric and protohistoric site. Excavations have found evidence of Chalcolithic and megalithic cultures, and ancient gold workings.
About Ashoka's inscriptions:
They include Major Rock Edicts (14), Minor Rock Edicts, Pillar Edicts (7) and Minor Pillar Edicts.
Most are in Prakrit and the Brahmi script. Those in the north-west (such as at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra, in Pakistan) are in the Kharosthi script, and some in Afghanistan (such as at Kandahar) are in Greek and Aramaic.
The Brahmi script was first deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837.
The 13th Major Rock Edict describes the Kalinga War (about 261 BCE) and Ashoka's remorse.
The Dhauli and Jaugada edicts in Odisha include separate "Kalinga Edicts".
The Rummindei pillar inscription (Lumbini, Nepal) records Ashoka's visit to the Buddha's birthplace.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bihar has the Lauriya Nandangarh and Rampurva pillars.
- ✗Odisha has the Dhauli and Jaugada edicts.
- ✗Madhya Pradesh has the Gujarra and Sanchi inscriptions.
Quick tip
Remember: Maski (Raichur, Karnataka; found 1915) = first edict to name "Devanampiya Asoka"; Brahmi deciphered by James Prinsep (1837); Kalinga War in Rock Edict XIII.
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Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the rise of Magadha under the Haryanka, Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties, Alexander's invasion, and the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Ashoka, including Mauryan administration, Ashoka's dhamma and his edicts. Questions often ask about the capital of a Mahajanapada, the founder of a dynasty, or details of Ashoka's rule, such as the Kalinga war and his rock and pillar edicts. Key sources include Kautilya's Arthashastra and Megasthenes' Indica. James Prinsep first deciphered Ashoka's Brahmi inscriptions in 1837. Practise the Mahajanapadas and Mauryan Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.