Question

What do you mean by Prashastis and how did they help in recreating the history ?

Answer 1

Prashastis is a special kind of inscription meaning "in praise of".They were composed in praise of the rulers. An important example is aprashasti of Samudragupta. It is a poem in Sanskrit, composed by his court poet Harisena, nearly 1700 years ago.

Answer 2

In Sanskrit, Prashastis means ‘in praise for’.

They are special inscriptions, inscribed on walls and pillars by the poet to praise the great deeds of their rulers and kings.

These engravings have helped the archaeologists in shaping the history and clearing many doubts as these are permanent and take years to disintegrate.

For instance, the famous Prashasti which is engraved on the Ashokan pillar in Prayagraj gives significant information about the ruler of Gupta Empire, Samudragupta.

This was inscribed by Harishena – the court poet.

He has also written about the great battles won by King Samudragupta.