Which of the following inscriptions is known as the first advertisement of the world?

Question

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Correct — A, Dashpur inscription. The Dashpur (Mandsaur) inscription of the silk-weavers' guild — set up in the time of Kumaragupta and the local ruler Bandhuvarman, and later re-engraved in 473 CE — records how the guild built (and then restored) a Sun temple at Dashapura using its own accumulated wealth, and proudly proclaims the guild's skill and prosperity. Because it is essentially a public inscription praising the group's own craftsmanship and success, it is popularly cited as one of the earliest known 'advertisements' in the world.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) Wrong — the Sohgaura copper-plate inscription (Gorakhpur, UP; Mauryan-era) records famine-relief measures — grain storehouses (kosthagaras) for public distribution — not an advertisement.  (c) Wrong — the Supia (Shahdol, MP) pillar inscription is a Gupta-era dynastic record, not a self-promotional guild inscription.  (d) Wrong — the Eran inscriptions (Sagar, MP) record Gupta-era political events, including the earliest known epigraphic evidence of Sati; they are not advertisements.

Concept: The Dashpur/Mandsaur inscription is a stone record of a migrant silk-weavers' guild that settled in Dashapura (Mandsaur), prospered, and built a Sun temple there without seeking public donations — funding it entirely from the guild's own wealth. The inscription publicly celebrates the guild's craftsmanship and success, which is why exam sources describe it as the earliest known example of 'advertising' — a group broadcasting its own excellence in a public record.

State PCS 2021 Q35 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q35 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer