Emperor Ashoka: Discover the fascinating journey of Emperor Ashoka, the legendary Mauryan ruler, in this comprehensive biography. From his early life and ascension to the throne to his transformative conversion to Buddhism and the profound impact of Ashoka’s edicts, explore the legacy of one of ancient India’s most influential figures. Delve into the historical significance of Ashoka’s reign, his contributions to spreading Buddhism, and how his policies shaped the Mauryan Empire and Indian civilization.
In this article, We have covered the Smarat Ashoka Biography, His early Life, Education Spritual Transformation, His Empire and more.
Ashoka’s edicts inscriptions
Emperor Ashoka, the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled a vast empire in the Indian subcontinent from approximately 268 to 232 BCE. Known for his conversion to Buddhism after the Kalinga War, Ashoka promoted moral governance through his rulings and pillars, advocating principles of non-violence, compassion, and social welfare.
Ashoka Biography Overview
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304 BCE
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Pataliputra, Present day- Patna
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268 BCE to 232 BCE
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Varied education in warfare, statecraft, and philosophy
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Spread Buddhism with propagation of Dhamma across South Asia and European Subcontinent
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232 BCE
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Revered as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, known for his moral governance |
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Who was Ashoka?
Ashoka was the grandson of the founder of Maryan Empire, Chandragupta Maurya after he defeated Magadha. His father was Bindusara and Mother was Subhadrangi. He was born on 304 BCE in Pataliputra. Ashoka had 5 children- 3 sons and 2 daughters. His son, Mahendra was involved in Father’s mission to spread the teachings of Dhamma and Buddhism.
Early Life and Education of Ashoka
The following are the Early life and Education of Ashoka:
1. Birth and Lineage:
- Ashoka, born around 304 BCE, was the son of Emperor Bindusara and Queen Dharma. His birthplace is believed to be Pataliputra, the capital of the Maurya Dynasty.
2. Upbringing and Education:
- Under the guidance of his mother and teachers, Ashoka received a comprehensive education in various fields, including warfare, statecraft, and philosophy.
3. Rise to Power:
- Despite having several elder siblings, Ashoka emerged as the favored successor to the throne. His ascent to power marked the beginning of a significant era in Indian history.
4. Military Experience:
- Ashoka accompanied his father on military campaigns, gaining valuable experience in warfare and governance. This exposure shaped his understanding of the challenges of ruling a vast empire.
5. Cultural and Religious Exposure:
- Ashoka was exposed to various cultural and religious influences during his early years. This diverse upbringing likely contributed to his later interest in philosophical and ethical matters.
6. Influence of Chanakya:
- Chanakya, the renowned political strategist and advisor to Bindusara, played a crucial role in shaping Ashoka’s early education. His teachings emphasized the art of governance and diplomacy.
7. Early Achievements:
- Ashoka’s early years saw him involved in administrative responsibilities and military campaigns, laying the foundation for his later rule.
8. Character Development:
- The challenges and experiences during his formative years contributed to Ashoka’s character development, setting the stage for the transformative events that would define Ashoka’s reign.
1. Impact of the Kalinga War
- The pivotal moment in Ashoka’s spiritual transformation was the Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE), a brutal conflict that led to a profound change in his perspective on violence and conquest.
2. Horror and Repentance
- Witnessing the immense suffering and devastation caused by the war deeply affected Ashoka. Overwhelmed with remorse, he vowed to renounce the path of aggression.
3. Conversion to Buddhism
- Motivated by a desire for redemption and a commitment to non-violence, Ashoka embraced Buddhism. This marked a significant departure from the militaristic approach of his earlier years.
4. Adoption of Dhamma
- Ashoka adopted the concept of Dhamma, a moral and ethical code that emphasized righteousness, compassion, and social welfare. Dhamma became the guiding principle of his rule.
Mauryan Emperor Ashoka
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power founded by Chandragupta Maurya by overthrowing the Nanda Dynasty by around 321 BCE and ruling the Indian subcontinent till 185 BCE. By 320 BCE, the empire had fully occupied northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander and his Greek and Persian armies.
Chandragupta was assisted by a council whose members were noted for wisdom. Kautilya was one such royal advisor who played a significant role and assisted Chandragupta to rise to power by defeating Nandas. He was succeeded by his son Bindusara, who ruled from 297 BCE to 272 BCE and played an important role in forming contacts with the Greeks.
He conquered land between the two seas, i.e., the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. He is also known as ‘Amitraghata or Amitrochates’ by Greek writers. Bindusara consolidated his empire by extending territorial conquest towards the south of the continent. It was after he died in 272 B.C.E. that Ashoka succeeded his father.
Ashoka, before his succession in 268 B.C.E., served as an administrator by being the governor of Taxila and Ujjain, both cities that handled commercial activities. He was a commander who suppressed revolts in Ujjain and Taxila. In a Buddhist text, Dipavamsa refers to how he killed his other brothers, except the youngest, Vitashoka, to capture the throne.
Read: Fall of the Mauryan Empire
Impact of the Kalinga War and Giving Up Violence
In about 260 BC, Ashoka campaigned against the Kalingans and routed them, presumably a campaign to safeguard the routes of the profitable Mauryan trade with the peninsula that went past the eastern coast.
The destruction caused by the Kalinga War in 261 BC filled him with remorse, and his earlier interest in Buddhist teaching was rekindled, and it became a central pursuit. He was immediately converted to Buddhism. The 13th Rock Edict referred to his victory over Kalinga. He eventually began to adopt the policy of ruling by Dhamma instead of force and violence. Hundreds and thousands of people were adversely affected by the destruction and fallout of the war.
When he personally witnessed the devastation, he began feeling remorse. Although the annexation was complete, he embraced the teachings of Buddhism and renounced war and violence. He replaced the word Bheri gosha with Dhamma ghosha among all his subjects. He made elaborate arrangements for the oral propagation of his message; he created a special cadre of dhamma mahamatas within the kingdom and border people such as Yonas, kambojas, Gandharas, Rishtikas, and Pitinikas to move along members of all sects and to promote welfare and happiness.
Spread of Buddhism
The relationship between the individual and society. It was seen as an ideological tool to weld and consolidate his far-flung empire. Most of his inscriptions are about dhamma, and the theme of ahimsa (non-injury) is an important aspect of Ashoka’s dhamma.
His inscriptions and Ashoka’s edicts present the king as exemplifying dhamma in his ideas and actions. One of the most remarkable aspects of his own dhamma and the dhamma of a king was his renunciation of warfare and his re-definition of righteous conquest. The content and essence of dhamma included prohibition of animal sacrifice and festive gatherings, efficient organization of administration in the direction of social welfare, and tolerance among all the sects.
He believed that people could only attain heaven if they behaved well but would not attain Nirvana, as believed by Buddhist faith. Although Ashoka’s dhamma was clearly inspired by the Buddhist Upasaka dhamma, it was not identical to it. He insisted on mutual respect among the various religious sects.
Propagation of Dhamma
Tribal people and frontier kingdoms made ideological appeal by asking people to obey the King as their father and to repose confidence in him. Ashoka no longer considered foreign land legitimate areas for military conquests, but he tried to conquer them ideologically. He sent missionaries to Sri Lanka, Burma, and Central Asia for the propagation of Buddhism. As an enlightened ruler, Ashoka tried to expand his area of political influence through propaganda. The Kandhar inscription speaks about the success of his policy with the hunters and fishermen who gave up killing animals and possibly took a settled agricultural life. His inscriptions in the north-western part appeared in Aramaic and Kharoshthi script, and in Afghanistan they were written in both Aramaic and Greek scripts and languages. The third Buddhist council took place during Ashoka’s reign in 250 BCE in Pataliputra. The philosophical interpretation of Gautama Buddha was compiled into the 3rd Pitaka, i.e., the Abhidhamma Pitaka.
Ashoka’s Inscriptions
The inscriptions of Ashoka have been considered the most significant source used by scholars to better understand the concept of dhamma and Ashoka’s kingship. The Ashoka’s edicts can be classified into three categories:
1. Major Rock Edicts: 14 in number found at 8 places, i.e., Mansehra, Shahbazgarhi, Kalsi, Dhouli, Jaugada, Sopara, Girnar, and Yrraguddi.
2. Minor Rock Edicts: At various places like Maski, Gurjara, etc.
3. Pillar Edicts: 7 in number at 6 places, i.e., Delhi-Topra, Delhi-Meerut, Lauriya-Areraj, Lauriya-Nandangarh, Prayag, and Rampurva
There are 14 Major Rock Edicts that refer to various ethical deeds expected from the masses, such as prohibitions against animal slaughter, generosity to Brahmans, welfare measures, condemning popular ceremonies, directing religious tolerance, Dhammaghosa over Bherighosa, and Ashoka’s victory over Kalinga.
Read: List of Edicts of Ashoka
Minor Rock Edicts
Various edicts have been found in various sites in Kalinga. There is one Queen Edict that refers to the second queen of Ashoka, the Barbara Cave Inscription, and the Kandhar Bilingual Rock Inscription, which expresses satisfaction over Ashoka’s policy.
Read: Minor Rock-Edicts of the Great Ashoka
Pillar Edicts
There are 7 edicts that refer to the list of animals not to be killed, the policy of dhamma, the duties of Rajukas, the various works undertaken by Asoka for dhamma policy, and the abolition of sins of harshness, cruelty, anger, and pride. Other pillar inscriptions, like Rummindei, refer to Ashok’s visit to Lumbini and the exemption of Lumbini from tax, and the Nigalisagar Pillar mentions Asoka’s increased height of the stupa of Buddha Konakamana to its double size.
Ashoka was one such ruler during his time to maintain direct contact with the public through his inscriptions, which were mostly composed in Prakrit but were written in Brahmi script in the greater part of the subcontinent. In the north-western part, they appeared in the Aramaic language and Kharosthi script, and in Afghanistan, they were written in both the Aramaic and Greek scripts.
Read: Pillar-Edicts of the Great Ashoka
Extent of Emperor Ashoka
Emperor Ashoka covered the whole territory from Hindu Kush to Bengal and extended over Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and the whole of the Indian subcontinent, with the exception of a small area in the farthest south. Kashmir and the valleys of Nepal were also included in his empire. According to documented history, the great Mauryan king Ashoka (1st century BC) established the old city of Srinagar and named it Puranadhisthan (Pandrethan). He is referred to as Buddhsakya in the Maski inscription and Dharmakosa in the Sarnath inscription.
Some of his works of public utility included the founding of hospitals for people and animals, the digging of wells, the planting of roadside trees and groves, and the construction of watering sheds and rest houses. Orders were issued to curb public laxity and prevent cruelty towards animals. Some of the most enduring services to Buddhism included building a number of stupas (commemorative burial mounds) and monasteries.
He is credited with the adoption of several welfare measures for the public and is the first monarch known to have advocated conservation measures for wildlife. However, his policy of dhamma and ahimsa did not make a lasting impression amongst the vassals, who declared independence after his retirement in 232 BCE.
One of his significant contributions was how he brought political unification to the Mauryan empire through dhamma and religious tolerance. He reversed Kautilya’s advice to rulers to always be intent on physical conquest and advised his successors to give up the policy of conquest and aggression.
He intended to maintain the existing social order on the basis of tolerance. It was during Ashoka’s reign that the Maurya Empire reached its greatest territorial expansion.
Conclusion on Ashoka life
Ashoka was considered the greatest Mauryan ruler ever recognized. He was also known as ‘Ashoka the Great.’ This article compiles everything from his background to his role in the Kalinga War. Also find out how he played a major role in the spread of Buddhism, his inscriptions, and the extent of the Mauryan Empire under his rule.
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FAQs on Emperor Ashoka
1. Which edict of Ashoka referred to the Kalinga war?
The 13th Major Rock Edict is referred when it comes to the Kalinga War.
2. When did the third Buddhist Council take place?
The third Buddhist Council took place in 250 BCE.
3. When did Ashoka die?
Ashoka died in 232 BCE.
4. When was Ashoka born?
Ashoka was born on 304 BCE approximately.
5. Who was Emperor Ashoka and why is he significant in history?
Emperor Ashoka, a Mauryan dynasty ruler, is renowned for spreading Buddhism and his policy of Dhamma, marking a significant era in ancient Indian history.
6. What led to Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism?
Ashoka embraced Buddhism following the Kalinga War, deeply moved by the war’s devastation and seeking a path of peace and morality.
7. How did Ashoka contribute to the spread of Buddhism?
Ashoka’s edicts, promoting Buddhist teachings and moral values, and his missions to spread Buddhism beyond India, significantly contributed to its global reach.
8. What are the Ashoka Pillars and their importance?
The Ashoka Pillars, inscribed with edicts, symbolize Ashoka’s governance and Buddhist principles, serving as important archaeological and historical artifacts.
9. Can you explain Ashoka’s policy of Dhamma?
Ashoka’s Dhamma was a code of moral conduct focusing on non-violence, tolerance, and welfare, aiming to create a just and harmonious society.
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