WBCS.LIVE practice question

The inscriptions of Ashoka and the Brahmi scripts were deciphered by

Solve this multiple-choice question and check the correct answer with its explanation below.

Answer options

  1. Alexander Cunningham
  2. James Princep
  3. Max Muller
  4. Mortimer Wheeler

Correct answer and explanation

Correct answer: James Princep

Explanation: ✅ Correct Answer: B) James Princep 📚 Explanation: James Prinsep, an officer at the Calcutta Mint and secretary of the Asiatic Society, deciphered the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts in 1837. This breakthrough allowed historians to read the inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka for the first time in centuries. It revealed Ashoka’s messages of Dhamma and his identity as 'Devanampiya Piyadassi'.