Unit-5 Inscriptions and Prashastis, BHIE 144 Traditions of history writing in India, Q & A, Summary

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*Unit 5: Inscriptions and Prashastis – Description*

Unit 5 focuses on *Inscriptions and Prashastis* as vital sources of early Indian history. It explores how inscriptions, often engraved on stone or metal, served as official records—recording royal orders, donations, victories, and genealogies. Special attention is given to **Prashastis**—royal eulogies composed in poetic Sanskrit—to glorify kings and validate their rule through divine ancestry, heroic deeds, and cultural patronage. These texts, while partly propagandistic, offer rich insight into political ideologies, administrative systems, and cultural values of ancient and early medieval India.

The unit examines the role of court poets, the composition style of these texts, and how historians interpret them critically—balancing between *historical fact* and *political exaggeration**. Important examples include the **Allahabad Pillar inscription* of Samudragupta and the *Aihole inscription* of Pulakeshin II.

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*Hashtags (for YouTube, Instagram, etc.):*

\#IndianHistory #Inscriptions #Prashastis #Epigraphy #HistoryWriting #AncientIndia #Samudragupta #PulakeshinII #HistoricalSources #BHIE144 #IGNOUHistory #TraditionsOfHistoryWriting #CourtPoetry #SanskritInscriptions

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*Keywords:*

Inscriptions
Prashasti
Epigraphy
Royal eulogies
Historical sources
Samudragupta
Allahabad Pillar
Pulakeshin II
Aihole inscription
Sanskrit poetry
Court historians
Gupta Empire
Chalukya dynasty
Political propaganda
Genealogy
Patronage
BHIE-144
History writing traditions
Ancient India
Source criticism