Ashoka

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1. ASHOKA (273 BC -223 BC) Ashoka was the most famous Mauryan king and one of the greatest rulers ever. The British historian H G wells had this to say about Ashoka “Amidst tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history …the name of Ashoka shines, and shines almost alone,like a star .” His numerous rock and pillar edicts spread over the large part of India ,give us a lot of information about this great ruler.

2. As a young king prince , Ashoka was a brilliant, and ruthless commander. Ashoka governed his kingdom well. He ruled from his capital at Pataliputra. For about twelve years he did not try to expend his kingdom . In 261 BC he decided to extended the empire by conquering Kalinga. But his conquest of kalinga proved to be the turning point of his life.

3. KALINGA WAR( 261BC ) When Ashoka became king , Kalinga (Orissa) was the only major kingdom which was not under Mauryan control. The conquest of Kalinga was important as it controlled the land sea routes of south India and south –east Asia. The conquest of Kalinga woud have added to the prosperity of the Mauryan Empire. In 261 BC , Ashoka attacked Kalinga and conquered it after a fierce battle .

4. The war with Kalinga was turning point in the life of Ashoka . The death ,destruction and suffering that he saw in the war made him very sad .He realised the futility of fighting a war and decided not to fight any more wars . He devoted the rest of his life to serve his people.

5. Ashoka changed as a person He embraced the teaching of Gautama Buddha and renounced war and violence . He implemented the principle of ahimsa by banning hunting and violent sports activity. He under took the massive public work works building campaign across the country . Over 40 year of peace , harmony and prosperity made Ashoka one of the most successful and famous monarchs in Indian history . He was also known as Piyadassi or ‘Priyadarsi’.

6. ASHOKA’S DHAMMA Ashoka’s Dhamma was deeply inspired by Buddhism. It did not involve the worship of a God or the performance of any sacrifice . Ashoka wanted people to understand dharma , follow it in their daily lives and benefit from it . Through this philosophy , Ashoka tried to promote the Idea of morality of the states and of the individual .

7. Some principles put forth in Dhamma for the state were To promote peace and harmony in the state . To ensure fast and effective justice to people . To set up nurseries to grow medicinal herbs for the use of common man. To establish wildlife sanctuaries for the preservation of animals and plants. Some of the principles advocated in Dhamma for individuals were To live together in peace and harmony . To speak the truth . To respect all religions . To follow the path of ahimsa or non –violence towards humans and animals . To be kind to the poor, including servants and and slaves.

8. Mean adopted to spread Dhamma Ashoka practised what he preached .He visited the holy place like Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath During these tours he gave gifts to Brahmins and the Buddhist monks alike. Principles of Dhamma were engraved on rocks and pillars. Ashoka ordered officials to teach people about Dhamma. His officers constructed well and planted trees for the comforts of travellers. Ashoka appointed officials called dharma mahamatras to spread dhamma . These officers went from place to place and spread the massage of dhamma among the people.

9. Edicts OF Ashoka Ashoka explain his ideas to the common people through the numerous edicts he issued. These edicts were spread over India and certain part of Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan . The edicts have two scripts ,some are in the Brahmi script,while those in the north –western region are in the Kharoshthi script. The edicts of Ashoka give us valuable information about his thoughts. They attest to Ashoka ’s efforts to maintain peace and promote the ideas of Buddhism far and wide. Ashoka ’s messengers travelled as far as Syria ,Egypt, and Greece. He also sent his son Mehendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka to spread the message of the Buddhism.

10. THE STONE PILLARS These pillars are found various parts of India like Sanchi ,Sarnath, Allahabad and Nandangarh. Each pillar consists of three parts: a- the base . b- Shaft and c- the capital. The most famous of all the pillars is the Sarnath pillar erected in the Deer park .Here at Sarnath , Buddha preached his first sermon. Modern India has given due recognition to the Lion capital at Sarnath. It has been adopted as the National Emblem of India. The figure of four lion is used on Indian currency. The wheel is shown on our national flag .

11. STUPAS A stupa is a dome- like structure made of stone or bricks. The purpose of a stupa was honour a sacred spot or to preserved the relics of Buddha . The stupas at Bharhut and Sanchi are extremely impressive . The sanchi stupa was originally built by Ashoka . Later it was enlarged during sunga period . Its gateway have beautiful sculptures depicting the story of the Buddha .