Ashokan inscriptions, discovered across the subcontinent from Kandahar to Karnataka, remain the most authentic primary source for reconstructing Mauryan history, supplementing literary works like the Arthashastra, Indica and Buddhist chronicles.

Significance:

• Political history: Rock and Pillar Edicts reveal the vast extent of the empire, its administrative divisions (Tosali, Suvarnagiri, Ujjain, Taxila) and Ashoka's personal transformation after the Kalinga war (Rock Edict XIII).
• Administrative insights: References to Rajukas, Yuktas and Pradesikas, and the appointment of Dhamma-Mahamattas, illuminate Mauryan bureaucracy and welfare orientation.
• Religious and social policy: Edicts articulate the concept of Dhamma—tolerance, non-violence, respect for elders—indicating state ethics beyond narrow sectarianism.
• Foreign relations: Rock Edict XIII names Hellenistic kings (Antiochus, Ptolemy), fixing Mauryan chronology and confirming diplomatic contacts.
• Language and script: Use of Prakrit, Brahmi and Kharosthi reflects linguistic diversity and mass communication.

Deciphered by James Prinsep (1837), the inscriptions transformed Ashoka from a shadowy figure into history's most documented ancient Indian ruler, making them indispensable for reconstructing Mauryan polity, society and cultural outreach.