Which one of the following political centers finds a mention in Ashokan inscriptions? (a) Indraprastha (b) Kaushambi (c) Suvarnagiri (d) Kandahar

Ashokan inscriptions provide critical insights into the Mauryan Empire's administration and geography. Suvarnagiri is explicitly mentioned in the Minor Rock Edicts as a provincial political center, specifically as the seat of a 'Kumara' (prince) or governor in the southern part of the empire [1][2]. While Kandahar is a significant site where bilingual Greek and Aramaic inscriptions were found, it is primarily a location of the edicts rather than a named administrative capital within the text itself [1]. Kaushambi is the site of a Minor Pillar Edict (the Schism Edict), but Suvarnagiri is uniquely identified as a regional administrative hub in the instructional preambles of the edicts [1][2]. Indraprastha, while a historical city of the Kuru Mahajanapada, does not appear in the Ashokan epigraphic record [4]. Therefore, Suvarnagiri is the most accurate political center mentioned.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Edicts of Ashoka > p. 52
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Epigraphic > p. 63
3. [4] https://gacbe.ac.in/pdf/ematerial/18MHI11C-U4.pdf