Prashasti

Prashasti (IAST: Praśasti, Sanskrit for "praise") inscriptions are euologistic inscriptions issued by Indian rulers from 1st millennium CE onwards. Written in form of poetry or ornate prose, the prashastis were generally composed by the court poets.

The prashastis generally contained genealogies of the rulers (or other issuers subordinate to them), their achievements (especially military activities), their comparisons with legendary heroes and other details. The inscriptions issued by the subordinates often recognized the rulers as the descendant of a deity, and bestowed titles and honours upon them.

The Tamil meykeerthi inscriptions are similar to the prashastis, but feature far more standardized formats.