Girnar rock edict
Topic: The Mauryan Empire · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "The Rise of Empires"
Meaning
The Girnar rock edict is a large rock near Junagadh in Saurashtra, Gujarat. It carries Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts, written in Prakrit. The same rock carries records of three rulers across about 700 years. This makes it a rare single source for the history of western India.
Example
After Ashoka, Rudradaman I added a Sanskrit inscription on the same rock in c. 150 CE. It records that he repaired the Sudarshana Lake dam without taxing his subjects. It also says the dam was first built by Puṣhyagupta, a governor appointed by Chandragupta Maurya. In the 5th century CE, Skandagupta recorded another restoration of the lake on the same rock.
Don't confuse with
- Dhauli: an Ashokan edict site near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, known for its rock-cut elephant. Girnar is in Gujarat.
Related concepts
- Ashokan edicts
- Piyadassi
- Kandahar bilingual inscription
- Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra edicts
- Maski edict
- R. Shamasastry
- Sohgaura copper plate
- Mahasthan inscription