Question

What is a prashasti?

Answer 1

Prasashti was a written account of a king and his rule. These written accounts were later engraved on pillars for the common man to read. Prasashtis were usually written by court poets to glorify the rule of the king. The term Prasashti, meaning in praise of, proves that these accounts were rather biased or exaggerated accounts of a king's rule. Samudragupta's prashasti is the finest example of such an historical source.