ASHOKA INSCRIPTION

The Minor Rock Edict of the Emperor Ashoka at Sasaram is located about two kilometers east of the famous mausoleum of Shershah Suri, On Chandan Shahid or Chand-Tan Shaheed Pahar after a grave/majar of a Muslim saint on the top of the hill. which seems to be as a eastern most extension of the Kaimur range. The inscription, which is now almost invisible, was engraved on the elongated stone under a very small rock shelter.
In the rock shelter or the cave there is another stone, attached obliquely with the engraved rock on which a major or grave of some Kajaliya Baba is now under worship and is under the possession of muslim community who have constructed a small wall in front portion of the rock shelter for fixing an iron gate.The rock shelter is very small having a height of only three feet and its interior space can accommodate hardly two persons inside the rock shelter.It seems that this rock shelter, having Asokan Minor Rock edict is under possession of Muslim community for quite longer period and they are applying lime coat/white washing regularly, with the result that the inscription is getting invisible.The text of this inscription was published by A. Cunningham, Buhler, Senat and Hultzsch and others scholars.
This inscription is written in eight lines addressed to the local officer. The king Ashoka issued this order after completing of two and half of year of his conversion into Buddhism and proclamation is issued by the king when he was on Dhamma Yatra (Pilgrimage) and has spent 256 nights away from his capital and datable to his 13th regional year i.e. 257 B.C.

Ashoka inscription