The Ashokan edicts are among the most important sources for understanding the history, administration, society, religion, and political ideas of ancient India. They refer to a series of inscriptions issued by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during the third century BCE. These inscriptions were engraved on rocks, pillars, and cave walls across different parts of the Indian subcontinent. They represent a significant tradition of historical writing in India because they provide direct evidence from the ruler himself regarding his policies, beliefs, and vision of governance. Ashoka’s edicts are mainly written in Prakrit language using the Brahmi script, while some inscriptions in the northwestern regions were written in Kharosthi, Greek, and Aramaic scripts. These inscriptions were discovered in various regions of present-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal, showing the vast extent of the Mauryan Empire. The decipherment of Brahmi script by James Prinsep in the nineteenth century helped historians identify Ashoka as the ruler mentioned in the inscriptions as “Devanampiya Piyadasi,” meaning “Beloved of