Rock and Pillar Edicts of Asoka

Impact

The Asokan inscriptions engraved on boulders, pillars, and rock walls constitute a milestone in the history of humankind. Radiating from the Indian Subcontinent to reach the Middle East as well as the Far East, they had a tremendous impact in varied arenas. India's contact with Southeast Asia gained pace, leading to cultural rapprochement between the regions. The Buddhist missionary activities as enshrined in the edicts made Buddhism popular in areas that are now Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Asoka's contact with the Hellenic world was evident from reading of the inscription. This contact was the result of the growth of the Greek empire, which had expanded to Asia Minor, central Asia, and as far east as the border with India; interaction between Buddhists and the Greeks lasted until the fifth century CE.

Apart from constructing a chronology of events in the life of Asoka, the edicts are important from an archaeological perspective. The monolithic stone columns of Asoka were architectural wonders. The Sarnath column, for example, was the most exquisite among the columns, with its fine polishing, dressing, chiseling, and shaping of stone. The Pillar edicts were inscribed on chiseled and polished sandstone pillars. In contrast to the inscriptions on rock surfaces, the artisan needed to take great care with the medium in inscribing the script on pillar surfaces. The edicts as a collection also became important in the literary history of the Indian Subcontinent, as they marked a departure from the earlier pictographic script of the Indus Valley civilization. The multilingual edicts are the earliest deciphered Indian inscriptions, throwing considerable light on contemporary state and society. The edicts have had considerable modern impact in framing a time line for ancient Indian history.