Ashokan Edicts and Pillars

27 Ashokan sites: major and minor rock edicts, pillars, scripts, the two sites that name Ashoka, and UPSC years.

On this map (27)

Shahbazgarhi — Mardan, Pakistan · Pakistan — Major Rock Edict · Kharosthi. Along with Mansehra, the only Ashokan edicts in Kharosthi script
Mansehra — Hazara, Pakistan · Pakistan — Major Rock Edict · Kharosthi. The second Kharosthi site, near Shahbazgarhi
Kalsi — Dehradun, Uttarakhand · Uttarakhand — Major Rock Edict. Edict XIII names the Greek kings: Antiyoka (Antiochus II), Turamaya, Antikini, Maka and Alikasudara
Girnar — Junagadh, Gujarat · Gujarat — Major Rock Edict. Ashoka’s fourteen edicts, then Rudradaman (about 150 AD; earliest long Sanskrit inscription), then Skandagupta
Sopara — Palghar, Maharashtra · Maharashtra — Major Rock Edict · fragments. Ancient port Surparaka near Mumbai
Dhauli — Bhubaneswar, Odisha · Odisha — Kalinga Edict. Separate Kalinga Edicts replace Major Rock Edicts XI–XIII; Edict XIII records the Kalinga war (about 261 BC)
Jaugada — Ganjam, Odisha · Odisha — Kalinga Edict. Ganjam district, on the Rushikulya river
Yerragudi — Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh · Andhra Pradesh — Major + Minor Rock Edict. Edicts read alternately left-to-right and right-to-left here
Maski — Raichur, Karnataka · Karnataka — Minor Rock Edict · names Ashoka. Only a few Minor Rock Edict copies say “Ashoka”: Maski, Gujjara, Nittur (and Udegolam); the rest say Devanampiya Piyadasi
Gujjara — Datia, Madhya Pradesh · Madhya Pradesh — Minor Rock Edict · names Ashoka. Maski, Gujjara and Nittur (and Udegolam) use the personal name; Datia district of Bundelkhand
Brahmagiri–Siddapura–Jatinga Rameshwara — Chitradurga · Karnataka — Minor Rock Edict · Suvarnagiri. Suvarnagiri was the southern provincial capital of the Mauryan empire
Gavimath and Palkigundu — Koppal · Karnataka — Minor Rock Edict. Near the Koppal fort, Karnataka
Bairat (Bhabru) — Jaipur, Rajasthan · Rajasthan — Minor Rock Edict · Buddhist faith. Bairat is Viratnagar, the ancient Matsya capital
Sasaram — Rohtas, Bihar · Bihar — Minor Rock Edict. Same group as Rupnath and Bairat in the north
Rupnath — Jabalpur region, Madhya Pradesh · Madhya Pradesh — Minor Rock Edict. Same group as Sasaram and Bairat
Ahraura — Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh · Uttar Pradesh — Minor Rock Edict. Mirzapur district
Topra Kalan — Yamunanagar (now in Delhi) · Haryana — Pillar Edict · moved to Delhi. Firuz Shah Tughlaq moved the Topra pillar to Delhi; the Meerut pillar was moved as well
Meerut — pillar moved to Delhi · Uttar Pradesh — Pillar Edict · moved to Delhi. Moved to Delhi Ridge by Firuz Shah Tughlaq
Lauriya-Araraj — East Champaran, Bihar · Bihar — Pillar Edict. Lauriya-Araraj, Lauriya-Nandangarh and Rampurva form the Champaran group
Lauriya-Nandangarh — West Champaran, Bihar · Bihar — Pillar Edict. The best-preserved of the Champaran pillars
Rampurva — West Champaran, Bihar · Bihar — Pillar Edict · bull + lion. Bull capital is now in the Rashtrapati Bhavan
Allahabad (Prayagraj) fort — pillar from Kaushambi · Uttar Pradesh — Pillar Edict + Samudragupta prashasti. Originally at Kaushambi; the “Schism Edict” warns monks against splitting the Sangha
Sarnath — Varanasi · Uttar Pradesh — Pillar · lion capital. Four lions above a wheel (Dharmachakra); the Schism Edict is inscribed here too
Sanchi — Raisen · Madhya Pradesh — Pillar · Schism Edict. The Schism Edict at Sanchi warns monks against splitting the Sangha
Lumbini (Rummindei) — Nepal · Nepal — Pillar · Buddha’s birthplace. Rummindei pillar records that the Buddha was born here (“Hida Budhe jate”)
Kanaganahalli (Sannati) — Kalaburagi, Karnataka · Karnataka — Stupa relief · Ashoka’s portrait. Relief slab on the Kanaganahalli stupa, near Sannati on the Bhima river
Sohgaura — Gorakhpur (copper-plate record) · Uttar Pradesh — Mauryan copper-plate order. Brahmi record of the Mauryan age; it orders state granaries for famine relief

Asked in exams

UPSC 2022Kalsi – Karnataka ✗ (it is in Uttarakhand)
UPSC 2022Dhauli – Odisha ✓
UPSC 2022Jaugada – Madhya Pradesh ✗ (it is in Odisha)
UPSC 2022Erragudi – Andhra Pradesh ✓
UPSC 1997The edict that mentions Ashoka’s personal name → Maski (not Kalsi, Rummindei or the Kalinga edicts)
UPSC 2019Relief inscription “Ranyo Ashoka” with his stone portrait → Kanaganahalli (not Sanchi, Shahbazgarhi or Sohgaura)
UPSC 1998Earliest royal order to store food grains for emergencies → Sohgaura copper plate
UPSC 2019Sohgaura is NOT a Harappan site

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