Prashasti
Prashasti (IAST: Praśasti, Sanskrit for "praise") inscriptions are euologistic inscriptions issued by Indian rulers from 1st millennium CE onwards. Written in form of poetry or ornate prose, the prashastis were generally composed by the court poets.[1]
The prashastis generally contained genealogies of the rulers (or other issuers subordinate to them), their achievements (especially military activities), their comparisons with legendary heroes and other details.[1] The inscriptions issued by the subordinates often recognized the rulers as the descendant of a deity, and bestowed titles and honours upon them.[2]
The Tamil meykeerthi inscriptions are similar to the prashastis, but feature far more standardized formats.[2]
Examples
- Nashik prashasti (2nd century CE), Satavahana dynasty
- Prayaga prashasti (4th century CE), Gupta dynasty: Lists the rulers against whom the Gupta king Samudragupta fought. It also describes the policy that he followed toward each set of rulers.
- Deopara Prashasti (12th century CE), Sena dynasty
References
- ^ a b Kumkum Roy (2008). Historical Dictionary of Ancient India. Scarecrow Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-4616-5917-4.
- ^ a b Bernard Bate (2013). Tamil Oratory and the Dravidian Aesthetic: Democratic Practice in South India. Columbia University Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-231-51940-3.
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