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How Ashoka’s Lost Edicts Were Deciphered: The Story of India’s Glorious Past I Ashoka
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The decipherment of Ashoka's edicts, which unveiled a significant part of India's ancient history, was primarily achieved by James Prinsep in the 1830s. He deciphered the Brahmi script, initially identifying it with a Sri Lankan king, then associating it with Ashoka. Simultaneously, he deciphered the Kharoshthi script, using bilingual coins of Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian kings. This breakthrough allowed access to Ashoka's pronouncements on Dhamma, his conversion to Buddhism, and his welfare programs.

Early Attempts:
For centuries, the inscriptions on rocks and pillars remained a mystery, written in scripts that were unknown to contemporary scholars.
James Prinsep's Role:
James Prinsep, an officer in the British East India Company, dedicated himself to deciphering these ancient scripts.
Deciphering Brahmi:
Prinsep focused on the Brahmi script, which was used in many of Ashoka's edicts, and associated it with the title "Devanampriya Piyadasi" found in the inscriptions.
Identifying Ashoka:
Through the work of George Turnour, who provided Pali texts from Sri Lanka, Prinsep was able to connect the title "Devanampriya Piyadasi" to King Ashoka.
Deciphering Kharoshthi:
Simultaneously, Prinsep worked on the Kharoshthi script, which was written from right to left, and used bilingual coins (Greek-Kharoshthi) to understand it.
Impact of the Discovery:
The decipherment of these scripts allowed historians and archaeologists to access Ashoka's edicts, which provided valuable insights into his reign, his conversion to Buddhism, and his policies on social welfare.
Significance of Dhamma:
Ashoka's edicts emphasized the concept of Dhamma, which included moral precepts, social and animal welfare, and the spread of Buddhist teachings.
Four Types of Edicts:
The edicts are broadly classified into four types: major rock edicts, minor rock edicts, major pillar edicts, and minor pillar edicts