The Major Rock Edicts of Indian emperor

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

refer to 14 separate major

Edicts of Ashoka The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from 268 BCE to 2 ...

which are significantly detailed and represent some of the earliest dated rock inscriptions of any Indian monarch. These edicts are preceded chronologically by the Minor Rock Edicts.

History

was the third monarch of the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...

in the subcontinent, reigning from around 269 BCE. Ashoka famously converted to Buddhism and renounced violence soon after being victorious in a gruesome Kalinga War, yet filled with deep remorse for the bloodshed of the war, but findings suggest that he had already converted to Buddhism 4 years before the war. Although he was a major historical figure, little definitive information was known as there were few records of his reign until the 19th century when a large number of his edicts, inscribed on rocks and pillars, were found in

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Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. In India, Places where rock edicts were found are – Kalsi,

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...

; Sopara,

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

; Mount

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimages of Jains, where the 22nd Tirthankara, Tirthaṅkar, Lord Neminath attained omniscience, and later nirvana at its highest peak (''Neminath Shikhar''), ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

; Yerragudi,

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

; Dhauli,

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

; Jaugada, Odisha. These many edicts, of which Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts were the first and most impressive, were concerned with practical instructions in running a kingdom such as the design of irrigation systems and descriptions of Ashoka's beliefs in peaceful moral behavior. They contain little personal detail about his life.

Authorship

The Major Rock Edicts are very generally attributed to

. Strictly speaking though, the inscriptions of the Major Rock Edicts, just as those of the Major Pillar Edicts, are not inscribed in the name of "Ashoka", but in the name of " Devanampriya" ("Beloved of the God", thought to be a general regnal title like "Our Lord"), "Devanampriya Priyadasi" ("Our Lord Priyadasi", or literally "Our Lord who glances amicably") or "Devanampriya Priyadasi Raja" ("Our Lord the King Priyadasi"). This title also appears in Greek in the

Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription The Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription, also known as the Kandahar Edict of Ashoka and less commonly as the Chehel Zina Edict, is an inscription in the Ancient Greek, Greek and Aramaic languages that dates back to 260 BCE and was carved b ...

, when naming the author of the proclamation as βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("King Piyodasses"), and in Aramaic in the same inscription as "our lord, king Priyadasin". The association of the Major inscriptions with "

" is only a reconstruction based on the 3rd-4th century CE '' Dipavamsa'' which associates the name "Ashoka" with the name "Priyadarsi", and an extrapolation based on the fact that the name "Ashoka" appears with the title "Devanampriya" ("Beloved of the Gods") in a few of the Minor Rock Edicts. Christopher Beckwith has suggested that "Priyadarsi" was a king in his own right, probably the son of

Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya (Sanskrit: elp:IPA/Sanskrit, t̪͡ɕɐn̪d̪ɾɐgupt̪ɐ mɐʊɾjɐ (reigned 320 BCE – c. 298 BCE) was the founder and the first emperor of the Maurya Empire, based in Magadha (present-day Bihar) in the Indian ...

known to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and

was either just a Buddhist legend or a much later king who authored the Buddhist Minor Rock Edicts around the 1st century CE. Conversely, the Major Rock Edicts in the name of King Priyadasi do not have a clear Buddhist character, being mainly codes of conduct gathered under the name of "Dharma" (translated as ''

Eusebeia Eusebeia (Greek: from "pious" from ''eu'' meaning "well", and ''sebas'' meaning "reverence", itself formed from ''seb-'' meaning sacred awe and reverence especially in actions) is a Greek word abundantly used in Greek philosophy as well as in ...

'' ("Piety") in Greek and "Truth" in Aramaic in the

), and never mentioning

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

or the

Sangha Sangha or saṃgha () is a term meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community". In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used b ...

. However, Beckwith's theories are not accepted by mainstream scholarship: many of his methodologies and interpretations concerning early Buddhism, inscriptions, and archaeological sites have been criticized by other scholars, such as Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi. According to

Patrick Olivelle Patrick Olivelle is an Indologist. A philologist and scholar of Sanskrit Literature whose work has focused on asceticism, renunciation and the dharma, Olivelle has been Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Religions in the Department of Asian Stu ...

, Beckwith's theory is "an outlier and no mainstream Ashokan scholar would subscribe to that view."

List of Major Rock edicts

Dhauli Ashoka inscription Puri District India

The major rock edits of Ashoka include: ; Rock Edict I : Prohibits animal slaughter. Bans festive gatherings and killings of animals. Only two peacocks and one deer were killed in Asoka’s kitchen. He wished to discontinue this practice of killing two peacocks and one deer as well. ; Major Rock Edict II : Provides for care for man and animals, describes recipients as the Chola, Pandyas, Satyaputra and kerala putras Kingdoms of South India, and the Greek king Antiochus II and his neighbours. ; Major Rock Edict III : Generosity to Brahmans. Issued after 12 years of Asoka’s coronation. It says that the Yuktas (subordinate officers) and Pradesikas (district Heads) along with Rajukas (Rural officers) shall go to the all areas of kingdom every five years and spread the Dhamma Policy of Asoka. ; Major Rock Edict IV : Dhammaghosa is ideal to the mankind and not the Bherighosa. Impact of Dhamma on society. ; Major Rock Edict V : Ashoka mentions in this rock edict "Every Human is my child". Appointment of Dhammamahamatras is mentioned in this edict. ; Major Rock Edict VI : Describes King’s desire to get informed about the conditions of the people constantly. Talks about welfare measures. ; Major Rock Edict VII : Requests tolerance for all religions - "To foster one’s own sect, depreciating the others out of affection for one’s own, to exalt its merit, is to do the worst harm to one’s own sect." Kandahar Greek inscription

; Major Rock Edict VIII : Describes Asoka’s first Dhamma Yatra to Bodhgaya & Bodhi Tree. ; Major Rock Edict IX : Condemns popular ceremonies. Stress in ceremonies of Dhamma. ; Major Rock Edict X : Condemns the desire for fame and glory. Stresses on popularity of Dhamma. ; Major Rock Edict XI : Elaborates Dhamma Major ; Rock Edict XII : Directed and determined request for tolerance among different religious sects. : Also written in Greek in the Kandahar Greek Edict of Ashoka (last portion) ; Major Rock Edict XIII : It is the largest inscription from the edict. It talks about the Ashoka's (r.268 - 232 BC) victory over Kalinga (262 - 261 BC) and mentions his remorse for the half million killed or deported during his conquest, by "

Dhamma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold'' or ''to support' ...

". The edict asserts that in no land, except those of the Greeks, do not orders of Brahmans and

Śramaṇa A ''śramaṇa''; ; ; ; ) is a person "who labours, toils, or exerts themselves for some higher or religious purpose" or "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity".Monier Monier-Williams, श्रमण śramaṇa, Sanskrit-Eng ...

now exist to instruct on "Dhamma"; the forest tribes should repent or be killed; and he has conquered the lands, for 600

Yojana A yojana (Devanagari: योजन; Khmer language: យោជន៍; ; ) is a measure of distance that was used in ancient India, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Various textual sources from ancient India define Yojana as ranging from 3.5 to 15& ...

, to the borders of several named Greek rulers: :* ''Amtiyoga'' or ''Amtiyaka'' ( 𑀅𑀁𑀢𑀺𑀬𑀓), identified with Antiochus II Theos (r.261 - 246 BC) of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great ...

:* ''Tulamaya'' ( 𑀢𑀼𑀭𑀫𑀸𑀬), identified with

Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy III Euergetes (, "Ptolemy the Euergetes, Benefactor"; c. 280 – November/December 222 BC) was the third pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt from 246 to 222 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom reached the height of its military and economic ...

of Egypt (r.246 - 222 BC) :* ''Antekina'' ( 𑀅𑀁𑀢𑁂𑀓𑀺𑀦), identified with Antigonus Gonatus of Macedonia (r.277 - 239 BC) :* ''Maka'', identified with

Magas of Cyrene Magas of Cyrene (; born before 317 BC – 250 BC, ruled 276 BC – 250 BC) was a Greek King of Cyrenaica. Through his mother’s second marriage to Ptolemy I he became a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He managed to wrest independence for Cy ...

(r.276 – 250 BC) :* ''Alikyashudala'', possibly identified with

Alexander II of Epirus Alexander II (Greek: Άλέξανδρος) was a king of Epirus, and the son of Pyrrhus and Lanassa, the daughter of the Sicilian tyrant Agathocles. Reign He succeeded his father as king in 272 BC, and continued the war which his father had be ...

(r.272 - 255 BC) :It also mentions the victory of Dhamma in south India among the

Cholas The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...

and

Pandyas The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...

, as far as

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. : This edict was also written in Greek (probably together with all the other Major Rock Edicts I-XIV originally) in the Kandahar Greek Edict of Ashoka (first portion recovered). ; Major Rock Edict XIV : Describes engraving of inscriptions in different parts of country. It inspires to live religious life.

Language of the Inscriptions

Amtiyako Yona Raja in Major Rock Edicts No2 in Girnar

Three languages and four scripts were used. The edicts in the Indian language are composed in non-standardized and archaic forms of

Prakrit Prakrit ( ) is a group of vernacular classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 5th century BCE to the 12th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Ind ...

. Prakrit inscriptions were written in

Brahmi Brahmi ( ; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' or ...

and

Kharosthi Kharosthi script (), also known as the Gandhari script (), was an ancient script originally developed in the Gandhara Region of modern-day Pakistan, between the 5th and 3rd century BCE. used primarily by the people of Gandhara alongside vari ...

scripts, which even a commoner could read and understand, the inscriptions found in the area of Pakistan using in the

script. A few northern Edicts are written in the

Greek language Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...

, using very standardized

Greek script The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BC. It was derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and is the earliest known alphabetic script to systematically write vowels as w ...

, or in the

Aramaic language Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient Syria (region), region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai Peninsula, Sinai, Southeastern Anatolia Regi ...

, using the

Aramaic script Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written an ...

. The Kandahar Rock Inscription is bilingual Greek-Aramaic (but more often categorized as a Minor Rock Edict). The Kandahar Greek Edict of Ashoka is in Greek only, and originally probably contained all the Major Rock Edicts 1-14. Ashoka's edicts were the first written inscriptions in India after the ancient city of Harrapa fell to ruin.

Limited Buddhist character of the Major Rock Edicts

Several authors have pointed out that the Major Rock Edicts do not have a very strong Buddhist flavour, in particular compared to the Minor Rock Edicts. The subject of the Major Rock Edicts is the

Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

, which is essentially described as a corpus of moral and social values ("compassion, liberality, truthfulness, purity, gentleness, goodness, few sins, many virtuous deeds") and neither the

, nor the Samgha, nor

are ever mentioned. The only likely mention of Buddhism only appears with the word " Sramanas" ("ascetics"), who are always mentioned next to "

Brahmanas The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Athar ...

", in what appears as a rather neutral enumeration of the major religious actors of the period. In the 12th Major Rock Edict, Ashoka also claims to be honouring all sects. In Major Rock Edict No.8 though, Ashoka unambiguously describes his pilgrimage to Sambodhi ( Sambodhi inscription

''Saṃ''+''

bodhi The English term ''enlightenment'' is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably ''bodhi'' and ''vimutti''. The abstract noun ''bodhi'' (; Sanskrit: बोधि; Pali: ''bodhi'') means the knowledge or wisdom, or awakene ...

'', “Complete Enlightenment”), another name of

Bodh Gaya Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautam ...

, the location of the

's awakening. Ashoka also repeatedly condemns ceremonies and sacrifices, an apparent attack on

Brahmanism The historical Vedic religion, also called Vedism or Brahmanism, and sometimes ancient Hinduism or Vedic Hinduism, constituted the religious ideas and practices prevalent amongst some of the Indo-Aryan peoples of the northwest Indian subcontin ...

. In the Major Rock Edicts Ashoka also expresses his belief in

karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

and rebirth, affirming that good deeds will be rewarded in this life and the next, in

Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

( 𑀲𑁆𑀯𑀕 ''svaga''). Overall, according to Christopher I. Beckwith, the author of the Major Rock Edicts probably adhered to an "early, pietistic, popular" form of Buddhism.

Description of the Major Rock Edicts

The Major Rock Edicts of Ashoka are inscribed on large rocks, except for the Kandahar version in Greek ( Kandahar Greek Edict of Ashoka), written on a stone plaque belonging to a building. The Major Edicts are not located in the heartland of Mauryan territory, traditionally centered on

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

, but on the frontiers of the territory controlled by Ashoka.

Content of the Edicts

There are altogether 14 Major Rocks Edicts, forming a group which is duplicated with only slight variations in 10 known locations, and two Separate Major Rock Edicts, in Dhauli and Jaugada.

Major Rock Edict 1

Asoka’s prohibition of festivals and respect of animal life.

Major Rock Edict 2

Asoka’s providing of medical services, for human and animals, as well as herbs and fruit plants, to kings on his borders, including Hellenistic kings.

Major Rock Edict 3

Rules of morality and their implementation through Civil Servants.

Major Rock Edict 4

Rules of morality.

Major Rock Edict 5

Establishment and role of the Mahamatras.

Major Rock Edict 6

Ashoka' management of government affairs.

Major Rock Edict 7

The importance of self-control, purity of mind, gratitude, and firm devotion.

Major Rock Edict 8

Morality tours by Ashoka. This Edict is remarkable in that it describes the visit of the king to Sambodhi ( Sambodhi inscription

''Saṃ''+''

'', “Complete Enlightenment”), another name of

. It is thought that Ashoka built in Bodh Gaya the Diamond Throne, in order to mark the place where the Buddha reached enlightenment. According to tradition, Ashoka was profoundly grieved when he discovered that the sacred pipal tree was not properly being taken care of and dying out due to the neglect of Queen Tiṣyarakṣitā.Ashoka in Ancient India Nayanjot Lahiri, Harvard University Press, 201
p.296
/ref> As a consequence, Ashoka endeavoured to take care of the Bodhi Tree, and built a temple around it. This temple became the center of

. A sculpture at Sanchi, southern gateway of Stupa No1, shows Ashoka in grief being supported by his two Queens. Then the relief above shows the Bodhi Tree prospering inside its new temple. Numerous other sculptures at Sanchi show scenes of devotion towards the Bodhi Tree, and the Bodhi Tree inside its temple at Bodh Gaya. The Kalsi version also uses the title " Devanampriyas" to describe previous kings (whereas the other versions use the term "Kings"), suggesting that the title "Denampriya" had a rather wide usage and might just have meant "King".

Major Rock Edict 9

Morality rather than ceremonies.

Major Rock Edict 10

Strive for merit.

Major Rock Edict 11

Morality, courtesy, meritorious deeds.

Major Rock Edict 12

Respect other sects and not take pride in one's own.

Major Rock Edict 13

Content: Asoka’s victory in the Kalinga war followed by remorse. Victory of morality in India and among the Greeks (

Yona The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit, were used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians" (), who were probably the first Gr ...

s), as far as where the Greek kings

Antiochus Antiochus (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος) is a Greek male personal name, likely meaning "resolute in contention", or "unwavering". It is derived from the two words αντί ("against") and ὄχη ("support"). It was a dynastic name for rulers of ...

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

, Antigonus, Magas and

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

rule. The kings mentioned in Edict 13 as following the

have been identified with the major Hellenistic rulers of the period: File:AntiochusIIMET.jpg, Seleucid king Antiochus II Theos (261-246 av.J-C). Ptolemy II Philadelphos and Arsinoe II.jpg, King of Egypt

Ptolemy II Ptolemy II Philadelphus (, ''Ptolemaîos Philádelphos'', "Ptolemy, sibling-lover"; 309 – 28 January 246 BC) was the pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt from 284 to 246 BC. He was the son of Ptolemy I, the Macedonian Greek general of Alexander the G ...

and his sister

Arsinoe II Arsinoë II (, 316 BC – between 270 and 268 BC) was Queen consort of Thrace, Anatolia, and Macedonia by her first and second marriage, to king Lysimachus and king Ptolemy Keraunos respectively, and then Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egy ...

. File:Antigonus_Gonatas_British_Museum.jpg, Antigonus II Gonatas. File:King Magas of Cyrene.jpg, Magas, king of Cyrene

Major Rock Edict 14

Objectives and modalities of inscriptions.

First Separate Major Rock Edict

In Dhauli and Jaugada, on the east coast of India, in the recently conquered territory of Kalinga, Major Rock Edicts 11 to 13 were omitted from the normal complement of Edicts from 1 to 14, but two separate Edicts were put in their place. The First Separate Major Rock Edicts mainly addresses local officials (from Tosali in the Dhauli Separate Edicts and from Somāpā in the Jaugada versions) referring to the requirements of a fair judicial system, and the system of control established by Ashoka through the Mahamatras, sent from

Pataliputra Pataliputra (IAST: ), adjacent to modern-day Patna, Bihar, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE, as a small fort () near the Ganges river.. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliput ...

Ujjain Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...

and

Taxila Taxila or Takshashila () is a city in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and is just south of the ...

. Chronologically, it seems that the First Separate Rock Edict was actually engraved after the Second Separate Rock Edict. The first and second separate edicts seem to have been inscribed at about the same time as the other Major Rock Edicts, in the 13th and 14th years of Ashoka's reign.

Second Separate Major Rock Edict

In Dhauli and Jaugada, on the east coast of India, in the recently conquered territory of Kalinga, Major Rock Edicts 11 to 13 were omitted, but another separate Edict was put in their place, the Second Separate Major Rock Edict, addressed to the officials of Tosali in the Dhauli Separate Edicts and of Somāpā in the Jaugada versions. The Second Separate Edict asks the local officials to try to convince "unconquered bordering tribes" that the intentions of Ashoka towards them are benevolent.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Ashoka Major Rock Edicts
On The Origin Of The Early Indian Scripts
Indian inscriptions History of Gujarat Linguistic history of India Edicts of Ashoka Memorials to Ashoka Tourist attractions in Junagadh district Junagadh