Question

(1) What do Prashastis tell us?

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Answer 1

Prashastis are special kind of inscriptions and is a Sanskrit word which means “in praise for”. Prashastis are glowing praises of kings and rulers, and were written by the poets of that time.

Prashastis and Land Grants. Prashastis are a special kind of inscription, meaning “in praise of”. They were composed by learned Brahmans in praise of the rulers, which may not be literally true; but, they tell us how rulers of that time wanted to illustrate themselves.

Answer 2

The prashastis generally contained genealogies of the rulers (or other issuers subordinate to them), their achievements (especially military activities), their comparisons with legendary heroes and other details.[1] The inscriptions issued by the subordinates often recognized the rulers as the descendant of a deity, and bestowed titles and honours upon them.[2]

One of the first known prashastic inscription in Sanskrit is the Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman (circa 150 CE), the first long inscription in fairly standard Sanskrit that has survived into the modern era, which became a prototype for Gupta era poetic prashastis. According to American scholar Richard G. Salomon, the inscription "represents a turning point in the history of epigraphic Sanskrit. This is the first long inscription recorded entirely in more or less standard Sanskrit, as well as the first extensive record in the poetic style. Although further specimens of such poetic prasastis in Sanskrit are not found until the Gupta era, from a stylistic point of view Rudradaman's inscription is clearly their prototype".[3][4]

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