Ashoka is generally credited as the issuer of the Major Rock Edicts and the Major Pillar Edicts, though the inscriptions do not bear the name “Ashoka” directly in many cases. Instead, they are often inscribed under titles such as Devanampriya (Beloved of the Gods) and Devanampriya Priyadasi (Beloved of the Lords Priyadasi), which modern scholarship associates with the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. In some versions and in certain inscriptions, the text explicitly names Ashoka or uses his full title, reinforcing the attribution, while other copies rely on cross-textual history (such as later literature like the Dipavamsa) to connect the edicts to Ashoka. Overall, the scholarly consensus treats Ashoka as the author/ordering authority behind these edicts, even though the inscriptions themselves do not consistently present his name.