The Brahmi script used in Ashokan inscriptions was first deciphered in 1837 by:
Correct Answer: James Prinsep
Subject: history
- John Marshall
- Alexander Cunningham
- James Prinsep
- Buhler
Explanation: • James Prinsep (1799–1840) — British official, Secretary of Asiatic Society of Bengal
• Decoded Brahmi script in 1837 — used bilingual coins (Indo-Greek: Greek + Brahmi) as the key
• Key observation: Two most frequent letters = 'devanampiya piyadasi' (Beloved of Gods)
• Also deciphered Kharosthi script — unlocking northwest India's inscriptions
• This allowed Ashoka's edicts to be read for the first time in ~2,000 years
• Others: Cunningham = 1st Director-General of ASI (1861); Marshall = excavated Harappa/Mohenjo-daro (1920s); Buhler = German Indologist (Sanskrit/Prakrit texts)