Question

In which language were the Ashokan inscriptions written in Afghanistan?

• A. Sanskrit
• B. Prakrit
• C. Aramaic and Greek
• D. Latin and Greek

Hint:

Ashoka's inscriptions are a prime example of strategic communication. He used the local vernacular to ensure his message was widely understood: Prakrit for the Indian heartland, and Greek and Aramaic for the Hellenistic/Persian-influenced northwest frontier.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The inquiry concerns the languages employed for Ashoka's edicts in the northwestern regions of his empire, specifically in areas corresponding to present-day Afghanistan.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Emperor Ashoka's strategy was to disseminate his Dhamma message in the vernacular and script understood by the local populace.

While most of India saw his inscriptions in Prakrit, using the Brahmi script.
The far northwestern reaches of the Mauryan empire (modern Pakistan and Afghanistan) comprised a diverse population, including individuals of Greek and Persian ancestry, owing to extensive historical engagement with the Achaemenid and Hellenistic civilizations.
To address this demographic, Ashoka commissioned his edicts to be inscribed in languages and scripts familiar to them. Accordingly, inscriptions discovered in Afghanistan, such as the notable Kandahar Edict, are presented in bilingual or monolingual formats using Aramaic (the established administrative language of the former Achaemenid Persian Empire) and Greek.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Ashokan inscriptions in Afghanistan were rendered in Aramaic and Greek.