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The Hathigumpha Inscription and the Bhabru Edict The Magadha province seems to have comprised the erstwhile janapadas of Anga, Magadha, Kāśī, Kośala, Vajji, Malla, Vatsa, Cedi, Kuru, Pañcala, Śūrasena and Matsya, its grid being roughly demarcated by the findspots of the Pillar Edicts of Aśoka.1 Bairat, the traditional capital of Matsya Janapada, fell within the Magadha Province, and since this province was under the direct rule of Aśoka, it was not unnatural for him to style himself as 'King of Magadha' or Magadha-raja in an edict promulgated in that province.
It is also significant that nearer home, in the Barabar Cave Inscriptions, he styles himself as Piyadasi lajā and not as Devanampiya Piyadasi lajā. Devanampiya has been used as a synonym of rājā in the different versions of R.E. VIII and K.R.E. II and has also been used as an honorific by his son Dasaratha in his inscriptions. It means that though literally it carries the sense 'beloved of the gods', it was a royal honorific equivalent to 'His Majesty', probably made current during the reign of Aśoka. Piyadasi, meaning 'One whose sight is pleasing', was possibly his personal title, and was generally used with the honorific Devanampiya, but in his home province he sometimes styled himself simply as Piyadasi lajā. The name Asoka appears twice in his edicts, with the appellation of Devanampiya only in the Maski recension of his M.R.E. I and complete with Devanampiya Piyadasi in the Gujarra recension of the same edict.2 This seems to settle that both Devanampiya and Piyadasi were royal honorifics or titles.
In the light of the above discussion the reading Magadhe and the interpretation 'Priyadarsi, the King of Magadha', would appear to be more justified.
1.
2.
The recensions of P.E. were found at Lauriya-Araraj, Nandangarh and Rampurva in the Champaran district in Bihar, at Kausāmbi and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and at Topra near Ambala in Haryana. The Schism Edicts or Minor P.E. were found at Kausambi and Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, and the Commemorative Pillar Edicts, at Rummindei and Nigliva in South Nepal.
Maski Edict Gujarra Edict
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