•   Features:

o  Polished stone pillars and motifs.

o  Proclaimations are inscribed on pillars about Dhamma and Court orders.

o  Ashokan pillars are independently standing structures, not attached to any other monument.

o  Ashokan pillars are Monoliths (made of single piece of stone).

o  Shaft of the pillar has a tapering (narrowing) in shape.

Ashoka’s 7 pillar edicts:

These were found at Topra (Delhi), Meerut, Kausambhi, Rampurva, Champaran, Mehrauli:

•   Pillar Edict I: Asoka’s principle of protection to people.

•   Pillar Edict II: Defines Dhamma as the minimum of sins, many virtues, compassion, liberality, truthfulness, and purity.

•   Pillar Edict III: Abolishes sins of harshness, cruelty, anger, pride, etc.

•   Pillar Edict IV: Deals with duties of Rajukas.

•   Pillar Edict V: List of animals and birds which should not be killed on some days and another list of animals which have not to be killed at all.

•   Pillar Edict VI: Dhamma policy

•   Pillar Edict VII: Works done by Asoka for Dhamma policy.

Minor Pillar Inscriptions:

•   Rummindei Pillar Inscription: Asokha’s visit to Lumbini & exemption of Lumbini from tax.

•   Nigalisagar Pillar Inscription, Nepal: It mentions that Asoka increased the height of stupa of Buddha Konakamana to its double size.

Major Pillar Inscriptions:

•   Sarnath Lion Capital: Near Varanasi was built by Ashoka in commemoration of Dhammachakrapravartana or the first sermon of Buddha.

•   Vaishali Pillar, Bihar, single lion, with no inscription.

•   Sankissa Pillar, Uttar Pradesh

•   Lauriya-Nandangarth, Champaran, Bihar.

•   Lauriya-Araraj, Champaran, Bihar

•   Allahabad pillar, Uttar Pradesh.

Vaishali pillar