An empire of inscriptions
More than thirty sites preserve Ashoka's inscriptions. There are fourteen Major Rock Edicts, found at places such as Girnar in Gujarat, Kalsi in the Himalayan foothills and Shahbazgarhi in Pakistan; shorter Minor Rock Edicts; and seven Pillar Edicts on polished stone columns.
Most are in local forms of Prakrit written in Brāhmī script. In the north-west they use the Kharoṣṭhī script, and at Kandahar in Afghanistan they appear in Greek and Aramaic.
What dhamma meant
The edicts preach dhamma, a code of right conduct: obedience to parents and teachers, generosity to brahmins and śramaṇas alike, kindness to servants, restraint in speech, and respect for all religious groups. Ashoka restricts the killing of animals, provides medical care for people and animals, and has wells dug and trees planted along roads. He appoints special officers of dhamma to see it carried out.
This is not a summary of Buddhist doctrine. The four noble truths and nirvāṇa are never mentioned. It is a moral programme for a whole empire of many faiths.
The Buddhist inscriptions
A few inscriptions speak to Buddhists directly. At Bairat, Ashoka recommends seven named passages of teaching for monks, nuns and lay people to study. At Sarnath, Sanchi and Kausambi, he warns that monks or nuns who split the community should be expelled. At Lumbinī he marks the Buddha's birthplace.
Why it matters
They provide rare contemporary evidence for the religious and ethical world surrounding early Buddhism.
History and tradition
What historians can say
The edicts are primary sources, written in Ashoka's lifetime, and they are the foundation of what is known about him. They show a ruler personally devoted to the Buddha's teaching who nevertheless supported many religious groups.