In which script are the inscription of Shahabajgadi and Mansera of Ashoka?

The correct answer is Kharosthi Script

Key Points

• Kharosthi Script:
  • The Kharosthi script was used in the northwest regions of ancient India, including present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • It was primarily used for writing the Gandhari language, a local Prakrit.
  • The Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra inscriptions of Ashoka are significant because they represent some of the few instances of Ashokan edicts written in Kharosthi.
  • These inscriptions are important as they reflect the multicultural and multilingual aspects of the Mauryan Empire, adapting inscriptions to local languages and scripts to communicate more effectively with the population.
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Additional Information

• Aramaic Script:
  • Aramaic was a Semitic script and language that originated in the ancient Near East.
  • During Ashoka’s reign, Aramaic was used to communicate with populations in the northwestern parts of his empire where Aramaic influence was strong due to previous Achaemenid rule.
• Greek Script:
  • The Greek script was used in some of Ashoka’s inscriptions, particularly in regions influenced by Greek culture after the campaigns of Alexander the Great.
  • There are bilingual inscriptions (Greek alongside Aramaic) found in places like Kandahar in Afghanistan.
• Brahmi Script:
  • The Brahmi script is the ancestor of most of the modern Indian scripts and was widely used across the Indian subcontinent during Ashoka’s time.
  • Many of Ashoka’s inscriptions, especially those found in central and southern parts of his empire, are written in Brahmi.