It is believed to be the language spoken by the important religious figures Gautama Buddha and Mahavira and was also the language of the courts of the Magadha mahajanapada and the Maurya Empire; the edicts of Ashoka were composed in it.
It is believed to be the language spoken by Gautama Buddha, Vardhaman Mahavir and the language of the ancient kingdom of Magadha. It was the official language of the Mauryan court which may have been in Patna, and the edicts of Ashoka were composed in it.