Glossary · Term

Prakrit

Also known as Prakrits

Prakrit is the name for the vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages of ancient India, related to Sanskrit but simpler in sound and grammar. Ashoka's edicts and many early royal inscriptions are in Prakrit, and Pali and the languages of Jain scripture are forms of it. Courts used it in inscriptions and coins until Sanskrit largely replaced it from the 4th century CE.

Prakrit — Image: 6th century CE engraver. inked impression and photograph by J.F. Fleet (1847 – 21 February 1917) in 1888 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 7 profiles

Kushan EmpireGovernance Kingdom of MagadhaImpact Pallava dynastyFoundation, Governance Satavahana dynastySocioeconomy, Governance, Impact, Summary Gurjara-PratiharaSocioeconomy JainismTexts, Legacy SanskritOrigins, Grammar, Speakers, Change

Mentioned in 9 state histories

Indo-Greek Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Chutu dynasty Abhira dynasty Vakataka dynasty Pallava dynasty Salankayana dynasty Later Guptas Varman dynasty of Kannauj

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Prakrit. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prakrit
MLA: “Prakrit.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prakrit. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Prakrit.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prakrit.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Prakrit’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prakrit (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻