Correct Option (A):
The Sohgaura Copper-plate, discovered in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the earliest known epigraphic records from ancient India. It contains a royal directive to store food grains in granaries for distribution during times of famine or scarcity. This inscription reflects early administrative planning and state-sponsored welfare measures for disaster management, likely dating to the Mauryan period.
Incorrect Options:
Rummindei Pillar-edict of Ashoka: This edict, located in present-day Nepal, commemorates Emperor Ashoka's visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. It records tax concessions granted to the village, specifically reducing the land revenue (bhaga) and remitting other taxes (bali), but it does not mention food preservation or storage.
Prayaga-prasasti: Also known as the Allahabad Pillar inscription, this eulogy was composed by Harishena, the court poet of Samudragupta of the Gupta dynasty. It details Samudragupta's military conquests, administrative policies, and genealogical information, but it contains no directives related to food storage or famine relief.
Mehrauli Pillar inscription of Chandra: This iron pillar inscription, located in the Qutub Minar complex in Delhi, attributes extensive military achievements and a powerful empire to a king named Chandra, generally identified with Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty. Its content is primarily panegyric and does not pertain to the preservation of food grains or public welfare measures in that context.