Inscriptions

The oldest Hindu inscriptions are the
edicts of Ashoka, which were either
carved on rock faces or on stone
pillars; many of these inscriptions are
still readable today, despite being
more than two thousand years old.
Inscriptions on pillars were ordered
by rulers, and were concerned with
more sweeping issues, probably due
to the inscriptions’ public quality
and their often monumental nature.
Aside from stone, the inscriptions
were often done on copper plates.
These were often used to record land
grants, deeds, and other sorts of
bequests, since their permanence
made them more preferable than paper
for safeguarding property rights. In
themselves such inscriptions generally
contain very specific historical information, which can help to fill out more general knowledge about their time.