Why are inscriptions important?

Inscriptions are important because of the following reasons:

• Inscriptions are one of the most important sources of history of the Mauryan and the Gupta period.
• They usually record the achievements, activities or ideas of those who commissioned them and include the exploits of kings, or donations made by women and men to religious institutions.
• Since they are engraved on hard surfaces, they are virtually the permanent records of history and have been able to survive the ravages of time.
• Many inscriptions have been able to throw light on the powers and resources of royal women. A Gupta inscription mentions Prabha Devi, the daughter of Chandragupta II. According to it she has access to resources such as lands (though the Sanskrit texts do not allow women to own any resources).
• This inscription also gives us an idea of the rural population which included the Brahmins and peasants.