Inscription
Topic: Studying Indian History: Sources, Dating and Historiography · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Kings, Farmers and Towns"
Meaning
An inscription is writing engraved on a hard surface such as stone, metal or pottery. It usually records the achievements, activities or ideas of the person who ordered it. These include a king's victories or a donation to a religious institution. Inscriptions are almost permanent, so they are one of the most reliable sources for early Indian history. Some carry a date. Others are dated by palaeography, which means studying the style of the letters. The earliest Indian inscriptions are in Prakrit, the languages of ordinary people.
Example
Asoka's edicts (3rd century BCE) were carved on rocks and pillars across his empire. Most are in Prakrit and written in the Brahmi script. In them Asoka calls himself devanampiya piyadassi, which means "beloved of the gods, pleasant to behold".
Don't confuse with
- Manuscript: a text written by hand on palm leaf, birch bark or paper. Manuscripts were copied again and again, and the material decays easily. An inscription is fixed on a hard surface and stays in its original form.
Related concepts
- Epigraphy
- Prakrit
- Palaeography
- Votive inscriptions
- Aihole inscription
- Copper plate inscriptions
- Asiatic Society of Bengal
- James Prinsep
- Brahmi script
- Brahmi numerals