Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts
Field guide · Heritage
Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts
Two large boulders near Mardan carry fourteen edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, carved in the third century BCE in Kharosthi script, among the earliest confirmed evidence of writing anywhere in South Asia. The edicts set out Ashoka's Buddhist-influenced governance, prohibiting needless killing of animals and calling for tolerance between religious communities.
Two large boulders near Mardan carry fourteen edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, carved in the third century BCE in Kharosthi script, among the earliest confirmed evidence of writing anywhere in South Asia. The edicts set out Ashoka's Buddhist-influenced governance, prohibiting needless killing of animals and calling for tolerance between religious communities.
Why go
- ✦Fourteen edicts of Emperor Ashoka
- ✦Carved in Kharosthi script, 3rd century BCE
- ✦Among the earliest confirmed writing in South Asia
Words from an Empire
Ashoka's edicts appear at several sites across the subcontinent, but Shahbazgarhi's Kharosthi-script inscriptions are among the best preserved, sheltered under a protective structure that keeps the carved boulder legible more than two thousand years on.
Plan It with GreenPak
Pairs naturally with the Mansehra Rock Edicts and other KP heritage sites, use Plan a trip to build a Gandhara-and-Ashoka focused route.
Planning tip
When to go, October to March.
Getting there, About 12 km from Mardan city.
Allow, 30-45 minutes.
