Q. Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka? (UPSC Prelims 2016)
Answer: James Prinsep
Notes: The correct answer is [B] James Prinsep. The decipherment of the Ashokan edicts in 1837 was a landmark event in Indian archaeology and history.

• James Prinsep (Statement B – Correct): An English scholar, orientalist, and an officer of the East India Company mint, Prinsep deciphered the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts. By studying bilingual coins and inscriptions, he identified the king mentioned as "Piyadassi" (Beloved of the Gods) with Emperor Ashoka, thereby unlocking the history of the Mauryan Empire.
• William Jones (Statement D – Incorrect): Though a brilliant philologist and founder of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784), Jones is best known for suggesting the common origin of Indo-European languages and identifying "Sandrocottus" of Greek records as Chandragupta Maurya. He did not decipher the Ashokan edicts.
• Max Müller (Statement C – Incorrect): A German philologist and Orientalist, Müller is famous for his work on the Sacred Books of the East and the translation of the Rigveda. His work was primarily focused on Vedic Sanskrit and linguistics rather than epigraphy (the study of inscriptions).
• Georg Bühler (Statement A – Incorrect): A renowned scholar of ancient Indian languages and law, Bühler made significant contributions to the study of Indian paleography and the Manusmriti, but his work followed the foundational breakthrough made by Prinsep.

The edicts of Ashoka, found on rocks and pillars across the Indian subcontinent, represent the earliest evidence of the spread of Buddhism and the administrative policies of the Mauryan state.