UPSC Prelims 1995 · General Studies
Question 21: History and Culture
The name by which Asoka is generally referred to in his inscriptions is
AnswerThe answer is (d).
Asoka's inscriptions generally call him Devanampiya Piyadasi, 'beloved of the gods, of gracious looks'. Only a few minor edicts, such as the Maski and Gujarra ones, name him Asoka. Among the options, Piyadasi, in Sanskrit Priyadarshi, is the name used in the inscriptions. Chakravarti means universal emperor and is not what his edicts call him; Dharmadeva and Dharmakirti are not his names there. Remember: Devanampiya Piyadasi.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Chakravarti means a universal emperor; it is not the name the edicts use.
- (b) Dharmadeva does not occur as his name in the inscriptions.
- (c) Dharmakirti was a Buddhist logician, not an epithet of Asoka.
- (d) Right: Piyadasi, 'of gracious looks', is his name in the edicts (the option gives a feminine form).
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1995, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.