An English aid worker who belonged to the demining organization HALO Trust, witnessed and took a photograph of the inscription before reporting the discovery.

The photograph was sent to the British Museum, where its significance as an official document that named four kings of Kushan, was recognised by Joe Cribb.

Cribb shared the photograph with one of only a handful of living people able to read the Bactrian language, Nicholas Sims-Williams of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

of the great salvation, Kanishka the Kushan, the righteous, the just, the autocrat, the godζνογοznogoκιδιkidiασoasoναναNanaoδoodoασoasooισπoανooispoanµιmiβαγανobaganoιiþαoδανošaodanoαβoρδoabordoκιδιkidiιωγoiōgχþoνoxšonoζνογο κιδι ασo νανα oδo ασo oισπoανo µι βαγανo ι þαoδανo αβoρδo κιδι ιωγo χþoνoznogo kidi aso Nana odo aso oispoan mi bagano i šaodano abordo kidi iōg xšonoworthy of worship, who has obtained the kingship from Nana and from all the gods, who has inaugurated the year oneνoβαστonobastoσ(α)γωνδιs(a)gōndiβαγανobaganoσινδαδosindadooτηιαotēiaιiιωναγγoiōnaggooασooasooζoαστoozoastoταδηιαtadēiaαριαoariaoωσ-ōs-νoβαστo σ(α)γωνδι βαγανo σινδαδo oτηια ι ιωναγγo oασo oζoαστo ταδηια αριαo ωσ-nobasto s(a)gōndi bagano sindado otēia i iōnaggo oaso ozoasto tadēia ariao ōs-as the gods pleased.

and the (city of) Saketa, and the (city of) Kausambi, and the (city of) Pataliputra, as far as the (city of) Sri-Campaαµβoamboσιδηιανosidēianoπρoβαoprobaooδoodoµανδαρσιmandarsiζαopανozaoranoαβoaboιiσινδosindoωσταδoōstadooτη(ι)αotē(i)aαρoυγoarougoαµβo σιδηιανo πρoβαo oδo µανδαρσι ζαopανo αβo ι σινδo ωσταδo oτη(ι)α αρoυγoambo sidēiano probao odo mandarsi zaorano abo i sindo ōstado otē(i)a arougo– whatever rulers and other *important persons (they might have) he had submitted to (his) will, and he had submitted allιυνδoiundo(αβo)(abo)ιiσινδosindoωσταδoōstadoταδιtadiþαιšaiκανηþκεkanēškeαβoaboþαφαρošafaroκαραλραγγokaralraggoφρoµαδofromadoιυνδo (αβo) ι σινδo ωσταδo ταδι þαι κανηþκε αβo þαφαρo καραλραγγo φρoµαδoiundo (abo) i sindo ōstado tadi šai kanēške abo šafaro karalraggo fromadoIndia to (his) will.

Then King Kanishka gave orders to Shafar the Karalrang[Note 1](α)βειναo(a)beinaoβαγoλαγγobagolangoκιρδιkirdiσιδιsidiβ…αβob…aboριζδιrizdiαβoaboµαmaκαδγεkadgeραγαragaφαρειµoανofareimoanoβ-b-(α)βειναo βαγoλαγγo κιρδι σιδι β…αβo ριζδι αβo µα καδγε ραγα φαρειµoανo β-(a)beinao bagolango kirdi sidi b…abo rizdi abo ma kadge raga fareimoano b-*at this .

., for these(α)γα(ν)o(a)ga(n)oκιδιkidiµαρomaroκιρδαν(ε)kirdan(e)ιiµα..o[φ]αρρoma…o[f]arrooµµαommaooηλδιooēldiιαiaαµσαamsaναναnanaoδoodoιαiaαµ-am-(α)γα(ν)o κιδι µαρo κιρδαν(ε) ι µα..o[φ]αρρo oµµα ooηλδι ια αµσα νανα oδo ια αµ-(a)ga(n)o kidi maro kirdan(e) i ma…o[f]arro omma ooēldi ia amsa nana odo ia am-gods, (of) whom the .

*glorious Umma leads the *service here, (namely:) the *lady Nana and theσαsaoµµαommaαoρoµoζδoaoromozdoµoζδoo(α)νomozdoo(a)noσρoþαρδosrošardoναρασαonarasaoµιιρomiirooτηιαotēiaoυδoα-oudoa-σα oµµα αoρoµoζδo µoζδoo(α)νo σρoþαρδo ναρασαo µιιρo oτηια oυδoα-sa omma aoromozdo mozdoo(a)no srošardo narasao miiro otēia oudoa-lady Umma, Aurmuzd, the gracious one, Sroshard, Narasa, (and) Mihr.

and he is called Maaseno, and he is called Bizago] And he likewiseνonoπι(δo)γιρβopi(do)girboφρoµαδofromadoκιρδιkirdiειµoανoeimoanoβαγανobaganoκιδιkidiµασκαmaskaνιβιχτιγενδιnibixtigendioτ-ot-νo πι(δo)γιρβo φρoµαδo κιρδι ειµoανo βαγανo κιδι µασκα νιβιχτιγενδι oτ-no pi(do)girbo fromado kirdi eimoano bagano kidi maska nibixtigendi ot-gave orders to make images of these gods who are written above, andηιαēiaφρoµαδofromadoαβειµoανoabeimoanoþαoνανošaonanoκιρδιkirdiαβoaboκoζoυλokozouloκαδφισokadfisoþαošaoαβoaboιiφρ-fr-ηια φρoµαδo αβειµoανo þαoνανo κιρδι αβo κoζoυλo καδφισo þαo αβo ι φρ-ēia fromado abeimoano šaonano kirdi abo kozoulo kadfiso šao abo i fr-he gave orders to make (them) for these kings: for King Kujula Kadphises (his) greatoνιαγooniago(o)δo(o)doα(βoa(boo)oηµoo)oēmo(τ)ακτoo(t)aktoþαošaoα(β)[o]a(b)[o]ιiνια(γ)onia(g)ooδoodoαβoaboooηµoooēmoκαδφισokadfisoþαošaoαβoabooνιαγo (o)δo α(βo o)oηµo (τ)ακτoo þαo α(β)[o] ι νια(γ)o oδo αβo ooηµo καδφισo þαo αβooniago (o)do a(bo o)oēmo (t)akto šao a(b)[o] i nia(g)o odo abo ooēmo kadfiso šao abograndfather, and for King Vima Taktu, (his) grandfather, and for King Vima Kadphises(ι)(i)πιδαpidooδoodoαβoaboιiχoβιεxobieαβoaboκανηþκokanēškoþαošaotαtaσαγωνδιsagōndiþαoνανošaonanoþαošaoιiβαγoπoo-bagopoo-(ι) πιδα oδo αβo ι χoβιε αβo κανηþκo þαo tα σαγωνδι þαoνανo þαo ι βαγoπoo-(i) pido odo abo i xobie abo kanēško šao ta sagōndi šaonano šao i bagopoo-(his) father, and *also for himself, King Kanishka.

Then, as the king of kings, the Devaputra[Note 2]ρακ[α]νεrak[a]ne[…][…]φρ(o)µαδofr(o)madoκιρδιkirdiταδιtadiþαφαρεšafareκαραλραγγεkaralraggoκιρδokirdoειoeioβαγoλαγγobagolaggoρακ[α]νε […] φρ(o)µαδo κιρδι ταδι þαφαρε καραλραγγε κιρδo ειo βαγoλαγγorak[a]ne […] fr(o)mado kirdi tadi šafare karalraggo kirdo eio bagolaggo.

the Karalrang, and Shafar the Karalrang, and Nukunzuk [led] the worshipα[λγoa[lgoκιρ]δokir]doιαiaφρoµανofromanoειµιδβαeimidbaβαγεbageκιδιkidiµαρomaroνιβιχτιγενδιnibixtigendiταδανotadanoαβoaboþαoν-šaon-α[λγo κιρ]δo ια φρoµανo ειµιδβα βαγε κιδι µαρo νιβιχτιγενδι ταδανo αβo þαoν-a[lgo kir]do ia fromano eimidba bage kidi maro nibixtigendi tadano abo šaon-[according to] the (king's) command.

(As for) *these gods who are written here – may they [keep] theαν(o)an(o)þαošaoαβoaboκανηþκεkanēškeκoþανokošanoαβoaboιαoηδανιiaoēdaniζoρριγιzorrigiλρoυ(γ)olrou(g)oαγγαδ…γoaggad…gooανινδ-oanind-αν(o) þαo αβo κανηþκε κoþανo αβo ιαoηδανι ζoρριγι λρoυ(γ)o αγγαδ…γo oανινδ-an(o) šao abo kanēške košano abo iaoēdani zorrigi lrou(g)o aggad…go oanind-king of kings, Kanishka the Kushan, for ever healthy, *secure, (and) victorious.ooπ[…]ι(ν)διp[…]i(n)dioδ[…](δ)ιod[..](d)iβα(γ)επooρoba(g)epooroασoasoιωγoiōgoχþoνoxšonoαβoaboιoio(α)(a)χþoνoxšonoιυνδoiundoαρoυγoarougoν-n-o π[…]ι(ν)δι oδ[…](δ)ι βα(γ)επooρo ασo ιωγo χþoνo αβo ιo (α) χþoνo ιυνδo αρoυγo ν-o p[…]i(n)di od[..](d)i ba(g)epooro aso iōgo xšono abo io (a) xšono iundo arougo n-And [when] the devaputra, the *ruler of all India from the year one to the year *one *thousand,αρα[ara[]ι]iβ(α)γoλαγγob(a)golaggoαβoaboιωγoiōgoχþoνoxšonoασπαδoaspadoταδιtadiαβoaboιiαρηµεσoarēmesoχþoνoxšonoαγγαρ[…]aggar[…]αρα[ ]ι β(α)γoλαγγo αβo ιωγo χþoνo ασπαδo ταδι αβo ι αρηµεσo χþoνo αγγαρ[…]ara[ ]i b(a)golaggo abo iōgo xšono aspado tadi abo i arēmeso xšono aggar[…]had *founded the sanctuary in the year one, then *also to the .

][]χα[ π]ιδo þαo φρoµανα αβισσι παρηνα λαδo αβισσι ρηδγε λαδo αβισσ[ι..][]xa[ p]ido šao fromana abissi parēna lado abissi rēdge lado abiss[i..]according to the king's command .

In April 2000 Jonathan Lee, an English specialist in Afghan history, travelled with Robert Kluijver, director of the Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage, from Mazar-i Sharif to Pul-i Khumri, the provincial capital of Baghlan, to locate the stone.

In July 2000 Robert Kluijver travelled with a delegation of the Kabul Museum to Pul-i Khumri to retrieve the stone inscription (weighing between 500 and 600 kilograms [1,100 and 1,300 lb]).

Senior Taliban officials objected to the display of pre-Islamic heritage, which led to the closing of the museum (and the transfer of the Rabatak inscription to safety), a reversal of the cultural heritage policy and eventually leading to the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan and other pre-Islamic statuary (from February 2001 onwards).