Explanation: Impact of Persian Contact:

• As the north-western part of India came under the control of the Persian Empire from about middle of the sixth century, the region became a centre of confluence of Persian and Indian culture.
• The Persian contact left its impact on art, architecture, economy and administration of ancient India. The cultural impact was felt most in the Gandhara region.
• The most significant impact was the development of the Kharosthi script, used in the north-western part of India.
• It was used by Ashoka in his inscriptions in the Gandhara region. The Kharosthi script was derived from Aramaic used widely in the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.
• Like Aramaic, Kharosthi was written from right to left. Persian sigloi (silver coin) is an imitation from the region.
• The earliest coins in India are traced to the period of the mahajanapadas. The Indian word for coin karsa is of Persian origin. The coins might have been inspired by the Persian coins.
• The existence of coins in that period suggests trade links between India and Persia. The Ashokan edicts might have been inspired by the edicts of the Achaemenid king Darius.
• The Ashokan edicts use the term lipi instead of the Iranian term dipi.

Source: Tamil Nadu Board Class 11