ASOKA’S MAJOR ROCK EDICTS AND PILLARS.

James Prinsep in 1837, first deciphered a Brahmi script and read the name of Asoka as Devanampiya Piyadassi. Asoka’s inscriptions may be divided into three categories such as rock edicts, pillar edicts and cave edicts. These inscriptions give information about his persona and about his reign. The rock edicts can be further divided into two such as Major Rock edicts which are 14 in number and the Minor Rock edicts. The major rock edicts have been found in the following cities Mansehra, Shahbajgarhi, Kalsi, Girnar, Sopara, Dhauli, Jougarh, Iragudo, Roopnath, Bairat, Sasaram, Gavimatha, Palaki, Gundu and Yerragudi. The seven major pillars have been found in the following cities Topra, Meerut, Kausambi, Rampurva, Lauriya-Nandangarh, Lauriya Areraj and Mehrauli. The language used in the inscriptions is given in the table below.

LANGUAGE	SCRIPT	REGION
PRAKRIT	BRAHMI	MAJOR PART OF THE CONTINENT
PRAKRIT	KHAROSHTI	NORTHWESTERN
GREEK	GREEK	AFGHANISTAN
ARAMAIC	ARAMAIC	AFGHANISTAN

14 MAJOR ROCK EDICTS AND 7 MAJOR ROCK PILLARS.

MAJOR ROCK EDICT	DESCRIPTION	MAJOR PILLAR	DESCRIPTION
I	BANS SLAUGHTERING AND FESTIVE GATHERINGS.	I	PRINCIPLE TO PROTECT AND ADMINISTER ACCORDING TO DHAMMA.
II	MENTIONS CHOLA, PANDYA, KERALPUTRA AND SATYAPUTRA.	II	DEFINES DHAMMA.
III	OFFICERS LIKE YUKTAS, RAJUKAS AND PRADESIKAS SHALL TOUR AFTER FIVE YEARS AND SPREAD DHAMMA POLICY.	III	EMPHATICALLY EXPLAINED PEOPLE THAT CRUELTY, ANGER, PRIDE, AND ENVY ALL ARE SINS.
IV	DHAMMAGHOSH INSTEAD OF BHERIGHOSH HOR HIS PEOPLE.	IV	DEALS WITH DUTIES OF RAJUKAS.
V	DHARMA-MAHAMATRAS AND PUBLIC WELFARE.	V	LIST OF ANIMALS AND BIRDS WHICH ARE NOT TO BE KILLED AND RELEASE OF 25 PRISONERS.
VI	KING BE INFORMED ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF HIS PEOPLE.	VI	ENGRAVING OF THE DHAMMA POLICY.
VII	DHAMMAYATRAS BEGINS. FIRST TO BODHGAYA.	VII	WORKS DONE BY ASOKA.
VIII	TOLERANCE OF RELIGIONS
IX	CONDEMNS POPULAR CEREMONIES.
X	CONDEMNS THE DESIRES FOR FAME AND GLORY. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DHAMMA POLICY.
XI	ELABORATES DHAMMA.
XII	DIRECT AND DETERMINED REQUEST FOR TOLERANCE AMONG DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.
XIII	ANNEXATION OF KALINGA.
XIV	ENGRAVING OF INSCRIPTIONS BY HIM IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.