Researchers at the Acharya Nagarjuna University have recently deciphered a series of 4th-century inscriptions on limestone pillars in the Amaravati region. These inscriptions detail a comprehensive code known as Dharma-Niti, which outlines the ethical obligations of citizens and administrators. Unlike later legalistic texts, these inscriptions focus heavily on the "atman" (self) as the internal regulator of moral conduct.
The inscriptions highlight the concept of "Samata" (Equanimity) as a fundamental virtue for governance, suggesting that early Andhra societies practiced a form of social organization rooted in Vedantic principles. This discovery provides physical evidence of a sophisticated "Philosophy of Civic Responsibility" existing in South India during the transition from the Satavahana to the Ikshvaku period.