UPSC CSE Prelims 2016
James Prinsep was the first scholar to decipher the edicts of Emperor Ashoka. In the 1830s, he successfully deciphered the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts, which were predominantly used in Ashoka's inscriptions. This pivotal achievement provided crucial insights into Mauryan administration, the spread of Buddhism, and Ashoka's ethical principles, thereby significantly advancing the understanding of early Indian history.
Georg Buhler: He was a prominent Indologist and Sanskrit scholar known for his extensive work on ancient Indian inscriptions and texts. While his contributions to Indian epigraphy are significant, he did not decipher Ashoka's edicts.
Max Muller: A German philologist and Orientalist, Max Muller was primarily known for his scholarship on Vedic texts and comparative mythology, particularly his translation of the Rigveda. His academic work was not related to the decipherment of Ashokan inscriptions.
William Jones: Sir William Jones was a British philologist and a pioneer in comparative linguistics. He is renowned for founding the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784 and for his significant contributions to Sanskrit studies, but he was not involved in deciphering Ashoka's edicts.