Which of the following inscriptions record gifts made to religious institutions?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option 2 - Votive inscriptions
Votive inscriptions record gifts made to religious institutions.
By the second century BCE, short votive inscriptions began to appear in several cities. These inscriptions often mention the names of donors, and sometimes their occupations as well. They offer valuable information about the diverse population that resided in these urban centers, including washing folk, weavers, scribes, carpenters, potters, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, officials, religious teachers, merchants, and kings. Furthermore, some inscriptions mention guilds or shrenis, organizations comprising craft producers and merchants. These guilds likely played a crucial role in procuring raw materials, regulating production, and marketing the finished products. It is probable that craftspersons employed a range of iron tools to meet the increasing demands of the urban elites.