Previous Year Question
Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
James Prinsep achieved the decisive breakthrough in deciphering the Brahmi script in 1837, making it possible to read many of Ashoka's inscriptions. The official archival account of the Asiatic Society also explicitly records James Prinsep's decipherment of the Brahmi script in 1837.
An important technical distinction is useful here. The question as the “decipherment of Ashoka's edicts”, whereas Prinsep's fundamental historical achievement was the decipherment of the Brahmi script. Since most of Ashoka's Indian inscriptions were written in Brahmi, this breakthrough opened the way to reading those inscriptions and reconstructing Mauryan history.
Prinsep's contribution went beyond merely identifying individual characters; it transformed the study of ancient Indian epigraphy and political history. The Asiatic Society itself associates him with the decipherment of Brahmi scripts and ancient inscriptions.
William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in 1784 and made important contributions to Sanskrit and comparative linguistic studies, but he is not credited with deciphering Ashoka's inscriptions.
Therefore:
James Prinsep → Brahmi decipherment → 1837 → decisive breakthrough in reading Ashokan inscriptions