Ashoka (
Devanāgarī: अशोकः,
IAST: , , 304 BC – 232 BC), popularly known as
Ashoka the Great, was an
Indian emperor of
the
Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost
all of the
Indian subcontinent
from 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka
reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military
conquests.
His empire stretched from present-day
Pakistan
, Afghanistan
in the west, to the present-day Bangladesh
and the Indian state of Assam
in the east,
and as far south as northern Kerala
and Andhra
except
Tamil
Nadu
. He conquered the kingdom named
Kalinga, which no one in his dynasty had
conquered starting from
Chandragupta
Maurya.
His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar
,
India). He embraced
Buddhism from
the prevalent
Vedic
tradition after witnessing the mass deaths of the
war of Kalinga, which he himself had waged out
of a desire for conquest. He was later dedicated to the propagation
of Buddhism across
Asia and established
monuments marking several significant sites in the life of
Gautama Buddha. Ashoka in human history is
often referred to as the emperor of all ages. Ashoka was a devotee
of
ahimsa (
nonviolence),
love,
truth,
tolerance and
vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history
as a
philanthropic administrator. In
the
history of India Ashoka is
referred to as
Samraat Chakravartin Ashoka- the Emperor of
Emperors
Ashoka.
His name " " means "without sorrow" in
Sanskrit (a= no/without, soka= sorrow or worry). In
his
edicts, he is referred to as
Devānāmpriya (
Devanāgarī:
देवानांप्रिय)/ or "The Beloved Of The Gods", and Priyadarśin
(
Devanāgarī: प्रियदर्शी)/ or
"He who regards everyone with affection". Another title of his is
Dhamma (
prakrit: धम्मः), "Lawful, Religious,
Righteous".
Renowned
British
author and
social critic H. G. Wells in his bestselling two-volume work,
The Outline of History
(1920), wrote of emperor Ashoka:
Along with the
Edicts of Ashoka,
his legend is related in the later 2nd century
("
Narrative of Asoka") and
("
Divine narrative"),
and in the
Sinhalese text
Mahavamsa ("
Great
Chronicle").
After two thousand years, the influence of Ashoka is seen in
Asia and especially the
Indian subcontinent. An emblem excavated
from his empire is today the national
Emblem of India. In the
history of Buddhism Ashoka is situated
just next to
Gautama Buddha.
Biography
Early life
Ashok Bindusara Maurya was born to the
Mauryan emperor
Bindusara
and his Queen 'Dharma' (although she was a
Brahmin or Shubhadrangi, she was undervalued as she
wasn't of royal blood). Mauryas were the Muras or rather Mors, and
another view of a Jat origin of Indo-Scythian lineage. Ashoka had
several elder siblings (all half-brothers from other wives of
Bindusara). He had just one younger sibling, Vitthashoka (a much
loved brother from the same mother). Because of his exemplary
intellect and warrior skills, he was said to have been the favorite
of his grandfather
Chandragupta
Maurya. As the legend goes, when Chandragupta Maurya left his
empire for a
Jain living, he threw his
sword away. Ashoka found the sword and kept it, in
spite of his grandfather's warning.
Ashoka, in his adolescence, was rude and naughty. He was a fearsome
hunter. He was a
kshatriya and was given
all royal military trainings and other
Vedic
knowledge. According to a legend, he killed a Lion with just a
wooden rod. Ashoka was very well known for his sword fighting. He
was very adventurous and this made him a terrific fighter. Ashoka
was a frightening warrior and a heartless general. Because of this
quality he was sent to destroy the riot of
Avanti.
Rise to Power
Developing into an impeccable warrior general and a shrewd
statesman, Ashoka went on to command several regiments of the
Mauryan army. His growing popularity across the empire made his
elder brothers wary of his chances of being favored by
Bindusara to become the next emperor.
The eldest of them,
Susima, the traditional heir to the throne,
persuaded Bindusara to send Ashoka to quell an uprising in Taxshila
, a city in the north-west District of Pakistani
Punjab region, for which Prince Susima was the Governor.
Taxshila was a highly volatile place because of the war-like
Indo-Greek population and mismanagement by Susima himself. This had
led to the formation of different militias causing unrest. Ashoka
complied and left for the troubled area. As news of Ashoka's visit
with his army trickled in, he was welcomed by the revolting
militias and the uprising ended without a conflict. (The province
revolted once more during the rule of Ashoka, but this time the
uprising was crushed with an iron fist)
Ashoka's success made his stepbrothers more wary of his intentions
of becoming the emperor and more incitements from Susima led
Bindusara to send Ashoka into exile.
He went into Kalinga
and stayed
there incognito. There he met a fisher woman named
Kaurwaki, with whom he fell in love. Recently found
inscriptions indicate that she would later become either his second
or third queen.
Meanwhile,
there was again a violent uprising in Ujjain
.
Emperor Bindusara summoned Ashoka out of exile after two years.
Ashoka went into Ujjain and in the ensuing battle was injured, but
his generals quelled the uprising. Ashoka was treated in hiding so
that loyalists of the Susima group could not harm him. He was
treated by
Buddhist monks and nuns. This is
where he first learned the teachings of the
Buddha, and it is also where he met Devi, who was his
personal nurse and the daughter of a merchant from adjacent
Vidisha. After recovering, he married her.
It was quite
unacceptable to Bindusara that one of his sons should marry a
Buddhist, so he did not allow Ashoka to stay in Pataliputra
but instead sent him back to Ujjain and made him
the governor of Ujjain.
The following year passed quite peacefully for him, and Devi was
about to deliver his first child. In the meanwhile, Emperor
Bindusara died. As the news of the unborn heir to the throne
spread, Prince Susima planned the execution of the unborn child;
however, the assassin who came to kill Devi and her child killed
his mother instead. In this phase of his life, Ashoka was known for
his unquenched thirst for wars and campaigns launched to conquer
the lands of other rulers and became known as Chandashok (terrible
Ashoka), the Sanskrit word
chanda meaning cruel, fierce,
or rude,
Chandi-devi being associated with
Kali.
Most of the Indian currencies
including coins contain the symbol of Lion capital of Ashoka
Ascending
the throne, Ashoka expanded his empire over the next eight years,
from the present-day boundaries and regions of Burma
–Bangladesh and the state of Assam in India in
the east to the territory of present-day Iran
/ Persia
and Afghanistan in the west; from the Pamir
Knots in the north almost to the peninsular of southern India (i.e. Tamilnadu
/ Andhra
pradesh
).
Conquest of Kalinga
While the
early part of Ashoka's reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty, he
became a follower of the Buddha's teaching
after his conquest of Kalinga on the
east coast of India in the present-day state of Orissa
.
Kalinga was a state that prided itself on its sovereignty and
democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary democracy it was
quite an exception in ancient Bharata where there existed the
concept of
Rajdharma. Rajdharma means the
duty of the rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with the
concept of bravery and
Kshatriya
dharma.
The pretext for the start of the
Kalinga
War (265 BC or 263 BC) is uncertain. One of Susima's brothers
might have fled to Kalinga and found official refuge there. This
enraged Ashoka immensely. He was advised by his ministers to attack
Kalinga for this act of treachery. Ashoka then asked Kalinga's
royalty to submit before his supremacy. When they defied this
diktat, Ashoka sent one of his generals to Kalinga to make them
submit.
The general and his forces were, however, completely routed through
the skilled tact of Kalinga's commander-in-chief. Ashoka, baffled
at this defeat, attacked with the greatest invasion ever recorded
in Indian history until then. Kalinga put up a stiff resistance,
but they were no match for Ashoka's brutal strength. The whole of
Kalinga was plundered and destroyed. Ashoka's later edicts state
that about 100,000 people were killed on the Kalinga side and
10,000 from Ashoka's army. Thousands of men and women were
deported.
Buddhist Conversion
As the legend goes, one day after the war was over,
Ashoka ventured out to roam the city and all he could
see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him
sick and he cried the famous monologue:
What have I done?
If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a
victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice?
Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill
innocent children and women? Do I do it to widen the
empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and
splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father,
someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this
debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or
defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers
of death or evil? The brutality of the conquest led him to
adopt Buddhism and he used his position to propagate the relatively
new religion to new heights, as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. He
made Buddhism his state religion around 260 BC. He propagated the
Vibhajyavada school of Buddhism and preached it within his domain
and worldwide from about 250 BC. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly has to
be credited with the first serious attempt to develop an Budhistic
policy.
Prominent
in this cause were his son Venerable Mahindra and daughter Sanghamitra (whose name means "friend of the
Sangha"), who established Budhism in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
). He built thousands of Stupas and Viharas
for Buddhist followers.
The Stupas of Sanchi are world famous and
the stupa named Sanchi
Stupa
was built by Emperor Ashoka. During the remaining portion of
Ashoka's reign, he pursued an official policy of
nonviolence (
ahimsa). Even
the unnecessary slaughter or mutilation of people was immediately
abolished. Everyone became protected by the king's
law against sport hunting and branding. Limited hunting
was permitted for consumption reasons but Ashoka also promoted the
concept of vegetarianism. Ashoka also showed mercy to those
imprisoned, allowing them leave for the outside a day of the year.
He attempted to raise the professional ambition of the common man
by building universities for study, and water transit and
irrigation systems for trade and agriculture. He treated his
subjects as equals regardless of their religion, politics and
caste. The kingdoms surrounding his, so easily overthrown, were
instead made to be well-respected allies.
He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and
renovating major roads throughout India. After this transformation,
Ashoka came to be known as Dhammashoka (Sanskrit), meaning Ashoka,
the follower of Dharma. Ashoka defined the main principles of
dharma (dhamma) as nonviolence, tolerance of all sects and
opinions, obedience to parents, respect for the Brahmans and other
religious teachers and priests, liberality towards friends, humane
treatment of servants, and generosity towards all. These principles
suggest a general ethic of behaviour to which no religious or
social group could object.
Some critics say that Ashoka was afraid of more wars, but among his
neighbors, including the
Seleucid
Empire and the Greco-Bactrian kingdom established by
Diodotus I, none could match his strength. He was
a contemporary of both
Antiochus I
Soter and his successor
Antiochus
II Theos of the Seleucid dynasty as well as
Diodotus I and his son
Diodotus II of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. If
his inscriptions and edicts are well studied one finds that he was
familiar with the Hellenic world but never in awe of it.
His
edicts, which talk of friendly relations, give the names of both
Antiochus of the Seleucid empire and Ptolemy
III of Egypt
. The
fame of the
Mauryan empire was widespread
from the time that Ashoka's grandfather
Chandragupta Maurya defeated
Seleucus Nicator, the founder of the
Seleucid Dynasty.
The source of much of our knowledge of Ashoka is the many
inscriptions he had carved on pillars and rocks throughout the
empire. Emperor Ashoka is known as Piyadasi (in
Pali) or Priyadarshi (in
Sanskrit) meaning "good looking" or "favored by the
gods with good blessing". All his inscriptions have the imperial
touch and show compassionate loving. He addressed his people as his
"children". These inscriptions promoted Budhist morality and
encouraged nonviolence and adherence to Dharma (duty or proper
behavior), and they talk of his fame and conquered lands as well as
the neighboring kingdoms holding up his might. One also gets some
primary information about the Kalinga War and Ashoka's allies plus
some useful knowledge on the civil administration.
The Ashoka Pillar at
Sarnath
is the most popular of the relics left by
Ashoka. Made of sandstone, this pillar records the visit of
the emperor to Sarnath, in the 3rd century BC. It has a four-lion
capital (four lions standing back to back) which was adopted as the
emblem of the modern Indian republic. The lion symbolizes both
Ashoka's imperial rule and the kingship of the
Buddha. In translating these monuments, historians
learn the bulk of what is assumed to have been true fact of the
Mauryan Empire. It is difficult to determine whether or not some
actual events ever happened, but the stone etchings clearly depict
how Ashoka wanted to be thought of and remembered.
Ashoka's own words as known from his
Edicts are: "All men are my children. I am
like a father to them. As every father desires the good and the
happiness of his children, I wish that all men should be happy
always." Edward D'Cruz interprets the Ashokan dharma as a "religion
to be used as a symbol of a new imperial unity and a cementing
force to weld the diverse and heterogeneous elements of the
empire".
Also, in the Edicts, Ashoka mentions Hellenistic kings of the
period as converts to Atheism, although no Hellenic historical
record of this event remain:
Ashoka also claims that he encouraged the development of
herbal medicine, for human and nonhuman
animals, in their territories:
The Greeks in India even seem to have played an active role in the
propagation of Atheism, as some of the emissaries of Ashoka, such
as
Dharmaraksita, are described in
Pali sources as leading Greek (
Yona) Budhist monks, active in spreading Buddhism (the
Mahavamsa, XII).
Death and legacy
Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years. After his death, the
Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more years. Ashoka had many wives
and children, but many of their names are lost to time.
Mahindra and Sanghamitra
were twins born by his first wife, Devi, in the city of Ujjain. He
had entrusted to them the job of making his state religion,
Buddhism, more popular across the known and the unknown world.
Mahindra and Sanghamitra
went into Sri
Lanka and converted the King, the Queen and their people
to Buddhism. They were naturally not handling state affairs
after him.
In his old age, he seems to have come under the spell of his
youngest wife
Tishyaraksha.
It is
said that she had got his son Kunala, the
regent in Takshashila
, blinded by a wily stratagem. The official
executioners spared Kunala and he became a wandering singer
accompanied by his favourite wife
Kanchanmala.
In Pataliputra, Ashoka hears Kunala's song, and realizes that
Kunala's misfortune may have been a punishment for some past sin of
the emperor himself and condemns Tishyaraksha to death, restoring
Kunala to the court. Kunala was succeeded by his son,
Samprati, but his rule did not last long
after Ashoka's death.
The reign of Ashoka Maurya could easily have disappeared into
history as the ages passed by, and would have had he not left
behind a record of his trials. The testimony of this wise king was
discovered in the form of magnificently sculpted pillars and
boulders with a variety of actions and teachings he wished to be
published etched into the stone.
What Ashoka left behind was the first
written language in India since the ancient city of Harappa
. The language used for inscription was the
then current spoken form called
Prakrit.
In the year 185 BC, about fifty years after Ashoka's death, the
last Maurya ruler,
Brhadrata, was brutally
murdered by the commander-in-chief of the Mauryan armed forces,
Pusyamitra Sunga, while he was
taking the Guard of Honor of his forces. Pusyamitra Sunga founded
the
Sunga dynasty (185 BC-78 BC) and
ruled just a fragmented part of the Mauryan Empire. Many of the
northwestern territories of the Mauryan Empire (modern-day Iran,
Afghanistan and Pakistan) became the
Indo-Greek Kingdom.
When India gained independence from the
British Empire it adopted Ashoka's emblem for
its own, placing the
Dharmachakra (The
Wheel of Righteous Duty) that crowned his many columns on the
flag of the newly independent state.
In 1992, Ashoka was ranked #53 on
Michael H. Hart's
list of the most
influential figures in history. In 2001, a semi-fictionalized
portrayal of Ashoka's life was produced as a motion picture under
the title
Asoka.King
Ashoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty, has come
to be regarded as one of the most exemplary rulers in world
history. The British historian H.G. Wells has written: "Amidst the
tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of
history ... the name of Asoka shines, and shines almost alone, a
star."
Buddhist Kingship
One of the more enduring legacies of Ashoka Maurya was the model
that he provided for the relationship between Buddhism and the
state.
Throughout Theravada Southeastern Asia, the
model of ruler ship embodied by Ashoka replaced the notion of
divine kingship that had previously dominated (in the Angkor
kingdom, for
instance). Under this model of 'Buddhist kingship', the king
sought to legitimize his rule not through descent from a divine
source, but by supporting and earning the approval of the Buddhist
sangha. Following Ashoka's example,
kings established monasteries, funded the construction of stupas,
and supported the ordination of monks in their kingdom. Many rulers
also took an active role in resolving disputes over the status and
regulation of the sangha, as Ashoka had in calling a conclave to
settle a number of contentious issues during his reign. This
development ultimately lead to a close association in many
Southeast Asian countries between the monarchy and the religious
hierarchy, an association that can still be seen today in the
state-supported
Buddhism of
Thailand and the traditional role of the Thai king as both a
religious and secular leader. Ashoka also said that all his
courtiers were true to their self and governed the people in a
moral manner.
Historical sources
Western sources –Ashoka the great was almost
forgotten by the historians of that age but
James Prinsep (an important historian)
contributed in the revelation of historical sources.Other important
historian was
British archaeologist Sir
John Hubert Marshall who was
director-General of the
Archaeological Survey of
India.
His main interests were Sanchi
and Sarnath besides Harappa and Mohenjodaro
. Sir Alexander Cunningham, a British
archaeologist and army engineer and often known as the father of
the Archaeological Survey
of India, unveiled heritage sites like the Bharhut
Stupa, Sarnath, Sanchi, and the Mahabodhi Temple;
thus, his contribution is recognizable in realms of historical
sources. Sir Mortimer
Wheeler who was a British
archaeologist also exposed Ashokan historical sources, especially
the Taxila.
Eastern sources -Information about the life and
reign of Ashoka primarily comes from a relatively small number of
Buddhist sources.
In particular, the Sanskrit Ashokavadana ('Story of Ashoka'), written
in the 2nd century, and the two Pāli
chronicles of Sri
Lanka (the Dipavamsa and
Mahavamsa) provide most of the currently
known information about Ashoka. Additional information is
contributed by the
Edicts of Asoka,
whose authorship was finally attributed to the Ashoka of Buddhist
legend after the discovery of dynastic lists that gave the name
used in the edicts (
Priyadarsi 'favored by the Gods') as a
title or additional name of Ashoka Mauriya.
Architectural remains
of his period have been found at Kumhrar,
Patna
, which include an 80-pillar hypostyle hall.
Edicts of Ashoka -The Edicts of
Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the
Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and
cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty
during his reign from 272 to 231 BC. These inscriptions are
dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Pakistan and India,
and represent the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. The edicts
describe in detail the first wide expansion of Buddhism through the
sponsorship of one of the most powerful kings of Indian history.It
give more information about Ashoka's proselytism, Moral precepts,
Religious precepts, Social and animal welfare .
Ashokavadana -The Ashokavadana is a 2nd
century CE text related to the legend of the Maurya Emperor Ashoka
the Great. The legend was translated into Chinese by
Fa Hien in 300 CE.
Mahavamsa -The Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle") is a
historical poem written in the Pali language,
of the kings of Sri
Lanka. It covers the period from the coming of King
Vijaya of Kalinga (ancient Orissa) in 543 BC to the reign of King
Mahasena (334–361).As it often refers to the royal dynasties of
India, the Mahavamsa is also valuable for historians who wish to
date and relate contemporary royal dynasties in the Indian subcontinent. It is very
important in dating the consecration of the Maurya emperor
Ashoka.
Dipavamsa -The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa",
(i.e., Chronicle of the Island, in Pali) is the oldest historical
record of Sri Lanka. The chronicle is believe to be compiled from
Atthakatha and other sources around the
3–4th century, King Dhatusena (4th century CE) had orderd that the
Dipavamsa be recited at the
Mahinda (son to
Ashoka )festival held annually in Anuradhapura.
The use of Buddhist sources in reconstructing the life of Ashoka
has had a strong influence on perceptions of Ashoka, as well as the
interpretations of his edicts. Building on traditional accounts,
early scholars regarded Ashoka as a primarily Buddhist monarch who
underwent a conversion to Buddhism and was actively engaged in
sponsoring and supporting the Buddhist monastic institution.Later
scholars have tended to question this assessment. The only source
of information not attributable to Buddhist sources the Ashokan
edicts make only a few references to Buddhism directly, despite
many references to the concept of
dhamma
(Sanskrit:
dharma). Some interpreters have
seen this as an indication that Ashoka was attempting to craft an
inclusive, poly-religious civil religion for his empire that was
centered on the concept of
dharma as a positive moral
force, but which did not embrace or advocate any particular
philosophy attributable to the religious movements of Ashoka's age
such as the
Hindus,
Jains,
Buddhists, or
Ajivikas. Most likely, the
complex religious environment of the age would have required
careful diplomatic management in order to avoid provoking religious
unrest. Modern scholars and adherents of the traditional Buddhist
perspective tend to agree that Ashoka's rule was marked by
tolerance towards a number of religious faiths.
Important years in the life of Ashoka
Birth – 304 BC
Marriage with Maharani devi – 286 BC
Mahindra's birth – 284 BC
Sanghamitta's birth – 281 BC
Reign – 272/273 BC to his Nirvana / Death (232 BC)
Rajyabhisheka – 270 BC
Tending to Buddhism – 266 BC
Building Chaityas – 266/263 BC
Mahindra and Sanghamitta Become Buddhist – 264 BC
Kalinga Vijaya – 262/263 BC
Converted to
buddhism – 263 BC
Dharmayatra – 263–250 BC
Third Buddhist council –
250–253 BC
Mahindra's Sri Lanka Yatra – 252 BC
Buddhist Proselytism – 250 to his Death / Nirvana
Edicts – 243/242 BC
Death / Nirvana of Sanghamitta – 240 BC
Rani Tishyaraksha becomes Pattarani – 236 BC
Prince
Kunal becomes Upraja – 233 bc
Ashoka's Death / Nirvana – 232 BC
(Note – There are some historians according to whom Ashoka embraced
Buddhism in 266 BC but became a true follower of Buddhism after the
Conquest of Kalinga 262 BC or 263 BC)
Contributions
Global Spread of Buddhism
Ashoka, now a
Buddhist emperor, believed that
Buddhism is beneficial for all human beings as well
as animals and plants, so he built 84,000
stupas,
Sangharama,
viharas,
Chaitya, and
residences for Buddhist monks all over
South
Asia and Central Asia. He gave donations to viharas and
mathas.
He sent his only daughter Sanghamitta and son Mahindra to spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka (ancient name Tamraparni). Ashoka also sent many
prominent Buddhist monks (bhikshus) Sthaviras like Madhyamik
Sthavira to modern Kashmir
and Afganistan
; Maharaskshit sthavira to Syria
, Persia / Iran, Egypt, Greece
, Italy
and
Turkey
; Massim
Sthavira to Nepal
, Bhutan
, China
and
Mongolia
; Sohn Uttar Sthavira to modern Cambodia
, Laos
, Myanmar
(old name Suvarnabhumi for Burma and Thailand),
Thailand
and Vietnam
; Mahadhhamarakhhita stahvira to Maharashtra
(old name Maharatthha); Maharakhhit Sthavira and
Yavandhammarakhhita Sthavira to South
India.Ashoka also invited Buddhists and non-Buddhists
for religious conferences. Ashoka inspired the Buddhist monks to
compose the sacred religious texts, and also gave all types of help
to that end.
Ashoka also helped to develop viharas
(intellectual hubs) such as Nalanda
and Taxila.
Ashoka
helped to construct Sanchi and Mahabodhi
Temple
. Ashoka never tried to harm or to destroy
non-Buddhist religions, and indeed gave donations to non-Buddhists.
Ashoka helped and respected both Sramans (Buddhists monks) and
Brahmins (Vedic monks). Ashoka also helped to organize the
Third Buddhist council (c.
250 BC)
at Pataliputra (today's Patna). It
was conducted by the monk
Moggaliputta-Tissa who was the spiritual
teacher of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
As an Administrator
Ashoka's military power was so strong that he was able to crush the
neighbors like
Cholas,
Pandya, Keralputra, the post Alexandrian empire,
Tamraparni, and
Suvarnabhumi but he never harmed them. Rather,
according to his edicts we know that he provided humanitarian help
including
doctors,
hospitals,
inns,
wells, medical herbs and
engineers to his neighboring countries. In his
neighboring countries Ashoka helped humans as well as animals.
Ashoka also planted trees in his empire and his neighboring
countries. Ashoka was perhaps the first emperor in human history to
ban
slavery,
hunting,
fishing and
deforestation. Ashoka also banned the death
sentence and asked the same for the neighboring countries.Ashoka
commanded his people to serve the orders of their elders parents)
and religious monks (
shramana and
Brahmin). Ashoka also recommended his people study
all religions and respect all religions. According to Ashoka, to
harm another's religion is a harm to someone's owns religion.
Ashoka asserted his people to live with Dharmmacharana. Ashoka
asked people to live with harmony, peace, love and tolerance.
Ashoka called his people as his children, and they could call him
when they need him. He also asked people to save money and not to
spend for immoral causes. Ashoka also believed in dharmacharana
(dhammacharana) and dharmavijaya (dhammavijaya). According to many
European and Asian historians the age of Ashoka was the age of
light and delightment. He was the first emperor in human history
who has taught the lesson of unity, peace, equality and love.
Ashoka's aim was not to expand the territories but the welfare of
all of his subjects (sarvajansukhay). In his vast empire there was
no evidence of recognizable mutiny or civil war. Ashoka was the
true devotee of nonviolence, peace and love. This made him
different from other emperors. Ashoka also helped
Buddhism as well as religions like
Jainism,
Hinduism,
Hellenic polytheism and
Ajivikas. Ashoka was against any discrimination
among humans. He helped students, the poor, orphans and the elderly
with social, political and economic help. According to Ashoka,
hatred gives birth to hatred and a feeling of love gives birth to
love and mercy. According to him the happiness of people is the
happiness of the ruler. His opinion was that the sword is not as
powerful as love. Ashoka was also Kind to prisoners, and respected
animal life and tree life. Ashoka allowed females to be educated.
He also permitted females to enter religious institutions. He
allowed female Buddhist monastic such as
Bhikkhuni. He combined in himself the complexity a
king and a simplicity of a buddhist monk. Because of these reasons
he is known as the emperor of all ages and thus became a milestone
in the
History of the
world.
Ashoka Chakra
The
Ashoka Chakra (the wheel of Ashok
the Great) is a depiction of the Dharmachakra or Dhammachakka in
Pali, the Wheel of Dharma (
Sanskrit: Chakra means wheel). The wheel has 24
spokes.
The Ashoka Chakra has been widely inscribed
on many relics of the Mauryan Emperor, most
prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Sarnath and The Ashoka
Pillar. The most visible use of the Ashoka Chakra today
is at the centre of the National flag of the Republic of India
(adopted on 22 July 1947), where it is rendered in a Navy-blue
color on a White background, by replacing the symbol of Charkha
(Spinning wheel) of the pre-independence versions of the flag.
Ashoka Chakra can also been seen on the base of Lion Capital of
Ashoka which has been adopted as the National Emblem of
India.
The Ashoka chakra was built by Ashoka during his reign.
Chakra is a
Sanskrit word
which also means cycle or self repeating process. The process it
signifies is the cycle of time as how the world changes with time.
The horse means accuracy and speed while the bull means
hardwork.
A few days before India became independent on August 1947, the
specially constituted
Constituent
Assembly decided that the flag of India must be acceptable to
all parties and communities. A flag with three colours, Saffron,
White and Green with the
Ashoka Chakra
was selected.
Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, who later became India's first
Vice President, clarified the
adopted flag and described its significance as follows:
A widely held unofficial interpretation is that the saffron stands
for purity and spirituality, white for peace and truth, green for
fertility and prosperity and the wheel for
justice/righteousness.
The twenty four
spokes in this chakra
wheel represent twenty four virtues:
- Love
- Courage
- Patience
- Peacefulness
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
- Selflessness
- Self sacrifice
- Truthfulness
- Righteousness
- Justice
- Mercy
- Graciousness
- Humility
- Empathy
- Sympathy
- Supreme knowledge
- Supreme wisdom
- Supreme moral
- Love for all beings
- Hope, trust, or faith in the goodness of
God or nature.
Pillars of Ashoka (Ashokstambha)
The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout
the northern Indian subcontinent, and erected by Ashoka during his
reign in the 3rd century BC. Originally, there must have been many
pillars of Ashoka although only ten with inscriptions still
survive. Averaging between forty and fifty feet in height, and
weighing up to fifty tons each, all the pillars were quarried at
Chunar, just south of Varanasi and dragged, sometimes hundreds of
miles, to where they were erected. The first Pillar of Ashoka was
found in the 16 century by Thomas Coryat in the ruins of ancient
Delhi. The wheel represents the sun time and Buddhist law, while
the
swastika stands for the cosmic dance
around a fixed center and guards against evil.There is no evidence
of a swastika, or manji, on the pillars.
Lion Capital of Asoka (Ashokmudra)
The Lion capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four "Indian
lions" standing back to back.
It was originally
placed atop the Aśoka pillar at Sarnath, now in the state of Uttar Pradesh
, India
. The
pillar, sometimes called the Aśoka Column is still in its original
location, but the Lion Capital is now in the
Sarnath Museum. This Lion Capital of
Ashoka from Sarnath has been adopted as the National
Emblem of India and the wheel "
Ashoka
Chakra" from its base was placed onto the center of the
National Flag of India.
The capital contains four lions (Indian / Asiatic Lions), standing
back to back, mounted on an abacus, with a frieze carrying
sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a
bull, and a lion, separated by intervening spoked chariot-wheels
over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished
sandstone, the capital was believed to be crowned by a 'Wheel of
Dharma' (Dharmachakra popularly known in India as the "Ashoka
Chakra").
The Ashoka Lion capital or the Sarnath lion capital is also known
as the national symbol of India. The Sarnath pillar bears one of
the Edicts of Ashoka, an inscription against division within the
Buddhist community, which reads, "No one shall cause division in
the order of monks". The Sarnath pillar is a column surmounted by a
capital, which consists of a canopy representing an inverted
bell-shaped lotus flower, a short cylindrical abacus with four
24-spoked Dharma wheels with four animals (an
elephant, a
bull, a
horse, a
lion).
The four animals in the Sarnath capital are believed to symbolize
different steps of Lord
Buddha's life.
- The Elephant represents the Buddha's idea in reference to the
dream of Queen Maya of a white elephant entering her womb.
- The Bull represents desire during the life of the Buddha as a
prince.
- The Horse represents Buddha's departure from palatial
life.
- The Lion represents the accomplishment of Buddha.
Besides the religious interpretations, there are some non-religious
interpretations also about the symbolism of the Ashoka capital
pillar at Sarnath.
According to them, the four lions symbolize
Ashoka's rule over the four directions, the wheels as symbols of
his enlightened rule (Chakravartin) and the four animals as symbols
of four adjoining territories of India.
Constructions credited to Ashoka the great
- Sanchi, Madhya
Pradesh
, India
- Dhamek Stupa
, Sarnath, Uttar
Pradesh, India
- Mahabodhi Temple, Bihar, India
- Barabar Caves
, Bihar, India
- Nalanda University (Vishwaviddyalaya), (some portions like
Sariputta Stupa), Bihar,India
- Taxila University
(Vishwaviddyalaya), (some portions like Dharmarajika Stupa and Kunala Stupa), Taxila, Pakistan
- Bhir Mound,
(reconstructed), Taxila, Pakistan
- Bharhut stupa, Madhya
Pradesh, India
- Deorkothar Stupa,
Madhya
Pradesh, India
- Butkara Stupa
,Swat,
Pakistan
Quotations
Attributed to Ashoka the Great
- All men are my children. What I desire for my own children, and
I desire their welfare and happiness both in this world and the
next, which I desire for all men. You do not understand to what
extent I desire this, and if some of you do understand, you do not
understand the full extent of my desire.
- Here (in my domain) no living beings are to be slaughtered or
offered in sacrifice.
- Respect for mother and father is good, generosity to friends,
acquaintances, relatives, Brahmans and ascetics is good, not
killing living beings is good, moderation in spending and
moderation in saving is good.
- To do good is difficult. One who does good first does something
hard to do. I have done many good deeds, and, if my sons, grandsons
and their descendants up to the end of the world act in like
manner, they too will do much good. But whoever amongst them
neglects this, they will do evil.
Truly, it is easy to do evil.
- All religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire
self-control and purity of heart.
- King Piyadasi does not consider glory and fame to be of great
account unless they are achieved through having my subjects respect
Dhamma and practice Dhamma, both now and in the future.
- Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion,
and condemns others with the thought "Let me glorify my own
religion," only harms his own religion. Therefore contact (between
religions) is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines
professed by others.
- There is no gift like the gift of the Dhamma, (no acquaintance
like) acquaintance with Dhamma, (no distribution like) distribution
of Dhamma, and (no kinship like) kinship through Dhamma. And it
consists of this: proper behavior towards servants and employees,
respect for mother and father, generosity to friends, companions,
relations, Brahmans and ascetics, and not killing living
beings.
- King Piyadasi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all
religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various
kinds.But Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, does not value gifts
and honors as much as he values this—that there should be growth in
the essentials of all religions.
- Along roads I have had banyan trees planted so that they can
give shade to animals and men, and I have had mango groves planted.
At intervals of eight //krosas//, I have had wells dug, rest-houses
built, and in various places, I have had watering-places made for
the use of animals and men. But these are but minor achievements.
Such things to make the people happy have been done by former
kings. I have done these things for this purpose, that the people
might practice the Dhamma.
- It is my desire that there should be uniformity in law and
uniformity in sentencing. I even go this far, to grant a three-day
stay for those in prison who have been tried and sentenced to
death. During this time their relatives can make appeals to have
the prisoners' lives spared. If there is none to appeal on their
behalf, the prisoners can give gifts in order to make merit for the
next world, or observe fasts.
About Ashoka the Great
Mahabodhi Temple is credited to Ashoka
the Great.
- Among the emperors and historical personalities, Samrath /
Emperor Ashoka is the surely only being who had decided not to
battle with enemy when he won the battle. – Jawaharlal Nehru in The Discovery of India (page no.
86).
- There is the only one period in Indian history which is a
period of freedom, greatness and glory. That is the period of the
Mauryan empire (Ashoka's empire). – B. R. Ambedkar in Annihilation of Caste (page no.
70–71).
- Ashoka is perhaps the only emperor who hated wars because of
the blood shed and cruelty. He wanted to win the souls of people
with love not the bodies with sword and terror. – V. G. Gokhale.
- In some cases Ashoka may be compared with Alexander the Great, Augustus Caesar, Genghis Khan, Timur,
Peter I of Russia, Napoleon I. But Ashoka was not extra ambitious
like Alexander the Great. Ashoka was an ideal administrator like
Augustus Caesar, but unlike Caesar, he didn't want to be known as a
dictator. Ashoka was a strong general but unlike Napoleon I Ashoka
never was unsatisfied. Ashoka wanted to be loved by his subjects.
He never terrorized his subjects like Genghis Khan, Timur and Peter
I of Russia. Nobility of soul, purity of mind, honesty of nature,
clarity of dignity and love for all let Ashoka sit with Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ. – Madhav Kondvilkar in Devancha Priya Raja
Priyadarshi Samrath Ashok (page no. 19).
- Now a days wars, conflicts and blood shed have become very
familiar, but about two thousand years ago Ashoka comprehended the
evils of war and conflicts. Ashoka turned his all power to
establish harmony and peace, in this way he has put a fine example
to be followed before all mankind. In this way he has shown that in
peacetime man would be a progressed being. – Dr. Binda Paranjape in Ashokache Shilalekha
(page no.29).
- A hundred years after my death there will be an emperor named
Ashoka in Pataliputra. He will rule one of the four continents and
adorn Jambudvipa (old name to India) with my relics, building
eighty four thousand stupas for the welfare of people. He will have
them honored by gods and men. His fame will be widespread. His
meritorious gift was just this: Jaya threw a handful of dust into
the Tathaagata's bowl. Prediction of Buddha
for Ashoka according to the Ashokavadana.
Stupas at Deorkothar are built by
Ashoka the great
- "He (Ashoka) insisted on the recognition of the sanctity of all
human life". Dr. Munshi.
- Asoka, one of the great monarchs of history, whose dominions
extended from Afghanistan to Madras... is the only military monarch
on record who abandoned warfare after victory. He had invaded
Kalinga (255 B.C.), a country along the east coast of Madras,
perhaps with some intention of completing the conquest of the tip
of the Indian peninsula. The expedition was successful, but he was
disgusted by what be saw of the cruelties and horrors of war. He
declared, in certain inscriptions that still exist, that he would
no longer seek conquest by war, but by religion, and the rest of
his life was devoted to the spreading of Buddhism throughout the
world. He seems to have ruled his vast empire in peace and with
great ability. He was no mere religious fanatic. For eight and
twenty years Asoka worked sanely for the real needs of men. Amidst
the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns
of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and serenities and
royal highnesses and the like, the name of Asoka shines, and
shines, almost alone, a star. From the Volga to Japan his name is
still honored. China, Tibet, and even India, though it has left his
doctrine, preserve the tradition of his greatness. More living men
cherish his memory today than have ever heard the names of Constantine or Charlemagne. – H.G.
Wells in The Outline of History (Being a Plain
History of Life and Mankind) published in (1920) chapter no. 25.4
(Buddhism and Asoka) page no 365–366.
- A large number of international scholars agree that Emperor
Aśoka of India in the third century B.C. was one of the greatest
conquerors who later achieved the most difficult conquest of all —
the conquest of himself — through self-conviction and his
perception of human suffering. After embracing the Dhamma of the
Buddha as his guide and refuge, he transformed the goal of his
regime from military conquest to conquest by Dhamma. By providing royal patronage for the
propagation of Buddhism both within and outside his vast dominion,
he helped promote the metamorphosis of Buddhism from one among many
sects of Indian ascetic spirituality into a world religion that was
eventually to penetrate almost all of southern and eastern Asia. –
Anuradha Seneviratna in King
Asoka and Buddhism Historical & Literary Studies (editors
preface ) (page. no. xi).
- We have no way of knowing how effective Asoka’s reforms were or
how long they lasted but we do know that monarchs throughout the
ancient Buddhist world were encouraged to look to his style of
government as an ideal to be followed. King Asoka has to be
credited with first attempt to develop a Buddhist polity. Today,
with widespread disillusionment in prevailing ideologies and the
search for a political philosophy that goes beyond greed, hatred,
and delusion, Asoka’s edicts may make a meaningful contribution to
development of a more spiritually based political system. –
Ven. S. Dhammika
in The Edicts of Ashoka.
- Many people ask: How can any nation be defended if all of its
people adopt nonviolence? It is rather difficult to answer this
hypothetical question. However, an emperor ruled over India with
nonviolence and compassion in the third century B.C. Ashoka was the
emperor - emperor of peace and social justice. He did not rule by
force or by accumulating goods and means of comfort for himself or
by pomp and show. He ruled by sacrificing material comforts and by
treating all his subjects equal and with justice. His example can
guide us, rulers and administrators, politicians and civil
servants, religious leaders and laymen, to establish peace, justice
and harmony in present-day world. – Sh. Duli Chandra Jain and Ms. Sunita Jain in Ashoka - Emperor Or Monk.
- Ashoka was a man dedicated to peace, and the only emperor in
history to forsake warfare after victory in the Kalinga war,
devoting the balance of his lifetime serving not only his people,
but mankind, with magnanimity and benevolence seldom seen in
history. Thus he was able to build the Golden Period of Indian
history." – Dr. Kirthisinghe.
Ashoka Today
In art and film
- Asoka is a 2001 epic
Bollywood historical drama. It is a
largely fictional version of the life of the Indian emperor Ashoka.
The film was directed by Santosh Sivan
and stars Shahrukh Khan as Ashoka and
Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki, a
princess of Kalinga.The film ends with Asoka renouncing the sword
and embracing Buddhism. The final narrative describes how Asoka not
only built a large empire, but spread Buddhism and the winds of
peace through it.
- Bollywood's versatile film director and producer Rajkumar Santoshi intends to produce an
epic on Emperor Ashoka starring Ajay
Devgan as Ashoka the Great with triple roles and Bipasha Basu as Kaurwaki. According to Rajkumar
Santoshi this upcoming film will be different from Santosh Sivan's
film on the same Emperor. According to Rajkumar Santoshi film
ASHOKA THE GREAT is basically based on the three different
phases and two generations of Mauryan
Emperor Ashoka.
- Bollywood's superstar Amitabh
Bachchan will cast the role of Emperor Ashoka. This forthcoming
film (yet untitled) is to be directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, an Indian
film director and script writer. According to Dwivedi it is the
story of relationship between king Ashoka and his son Kunal. Kunal, Ashoka’s son will be played by actor and
fashion model Arjun Rampal and model
and Bollywood actress Amrita Rao will
play his wife. Jaya Bachchan or
Tabbu might play Ashoka’s wife in the film.
The film is also based on the later years of Emperor Ashoka's life.
The film will be shot in India, Afghanistan,and Pakistan. Dwivedi
asserts that this untitled film is a legend based on a collection
of Buddhist texts called the Avadanas which deals with the
purification of the soul and mind.
- One of Japanese rock musician Miyavi's
most recognizable tattoos (on his upper right arm), is claimed to
mean, Asoka.
In Literature
- Asoka and the Decline of the Maurya by Romila Thapar.
- Early India and Pakistan: to Ashoka (1970) by
Brigadier Sir Robert Eric
Mortimer Wheeler.
- Asoka the Great by Monisha Mukundan.
- Asokan Sites and Artefacts, a Source-book with
Bibliography. Harry Falk, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz
2006 ISBN 978-3-8053-3712-0.
- The Legend of King Asoka (1948) by John S.
Strong.
- Ashoka the Great (1995) by D. C. Ahir.
- Ashoka text and glossary (1924) by Alfred C. Woolner
.
- Asoka: The Buddhist Emperor of India by Vincent A. Smith.
- Discovery of the Exact Site of Asoka's Classic Capital of
Pataliputra (1892) by L. A. Waddell.
- Asoka Maurya (1966) by B.
G. Gokhale.
- The Legend of King Asoka (1989) by John S.
Strong.
- Asoka (1923) by D.R. Bhandarkar.
- Ashoka, The Great by B. K. Chaturvedi.
- Asoka by Mookerji Radhakumud.
- King Aśoka and Buddhism Historical And Literaray
Studies by Anuradha Seneviratna.
- To Uphold the World: The Message of Ashoka and Kautilya for
the 21st Century (2008) by Bruce Rich.
- Asoka and His Inscriptions by Beni Madhab Barua.
- Asoka's Edicts (1956) by A. C. Sen.
- One of the most famous figures in modern Hindi literature, Jaishankar Prasad, composed Ashoka ki
chinta (in English: Worry of Ashoka), a famous
Hindi verse. The poem portrays Ashoka’s heart during
the war of kalinga.
- In Piers Anthony’s series of space
opera novels, the main character mentions Asoka as a model for
administrators to strive for.
Gallery
Image:EdictsOfAshoka.jpg|Distribution of the Edicts of
AshokaImage:Sarnath1.jpg|Dhamek StupaImage:Bharhut Stupa.JPG|The
ruined Bharhut Stupa, seen in back is the lal pahadi (red
mountain)Image:Deorkothar stupa.jpg|Stupa at Deorkothar
Image:CunninghamMauryan.jpg|Mauryan architecture in the Barabar
Mounts
Image:Kalinga battlefield daya river dhauli
hills.jpg|A view of the banks of the River Daya, also the supposed
battlefield of Kalinga from atop Dhauli
hillsImage:Sanchi.jpg|Carved decoration of the Northern gateway to
the Great Stupa of Sanchi
Image:CotthapAduc.gif|The Asokan pillar at
Lumbini
Image:MauryaStupa.jpg|
Buddhist stupas during the
Mauryan period were simple mounds without decorations.
Butkara stupa, 3rd century BCImage:Asoka
Kaart.gif|Buddhist
proselytism at the
time of king
AshokaImage:Indian passport
Cover1.jpg|Ashokmudra (
lion
capital of Asoka) on
Indian
passportImage:Asokalumbini.jpg|Ashoka's pillar in
NepalImage:Relics of Buddha obtained from a stupa
built by Emperor Asoka in 3rd century BCE, National Museum
Delhi.jpg|Relics of
Buddha obtained from a
stupa built by Emperor Asoka in 3rd century BCE, National Museum
Delhi.
See also
Sources
- Swearer, Donald. Buddhism and Society in Southeast
Asia (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Anima Books, 1981) ISBN
0-89012-023-4
- Thapar, Romila. Aśoka and the decline of the Mauryas
(Delhi : Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997, 1998 printing,
c1961) ISBN 0-19-564445-X
- Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. Age of the Nandas and Mauryas
(Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, [1967] c1952) ISBN 0-89684-167-7
- Bongard-Levin, G. M. Mauryan India (Stosius Inc/Advent
Books Division May 1986) ISBN 0-86590-826-5
- Govind Gokhale, Balkrishna. Asoka Maurya (Irvington
Pub June 1966) ISBN 0-8290-1735-6
- Chand Chauhan, Gian. Origin and Growth of Feudalism in
Early India: From the Mauryas to AD 650 (Munshiram Manoharlal
January 2004) ISBN 81-215-1028-7
- Keay, John. India: A History (Grove Press; 1 Grove Pr
edition May 10, 2001) ISBN 0-8021-3797-0
- Falk, Harry. Asokan Sites and Artefacts - A Source-book
with Bibliography (Mainz : Philipp von Zabern, [2006]) ISBN
978-3-8053-3712-0
Notes
- Ranajit Pal, however, points out that the first reference to
Magadha is in the Edict of Ashoka near the North-west and that
early Magadha was Magan in Baluchistan (western). The total
absence of any relics of the Mauryas and Nandas in the Patna area
shows that this was probably not Ashoka's capital. See Ranajit Pal,
"Non-Jonesian Indology and Alexander", New delhi – 2002.
- Full text of the Mahavamsa Click
chapter XII
- Available at: Asoka: Rock and Pillar Edicts. Then Again: David
Koeller. Retrieved on: 2009-02-21
- These quotations are taken directly from the Edicts of Ashoka.
Available at: Asoka: Rock and Pillar Edicts. Then Again: David
Koeller. Retrieved on: 2009-02-21
- Transcript of the question panel held at Anime Matsuri on April
10, 2009 MIYAVI Q&A. Retrieved on: 2009-04-17
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