Ashoka
Ashoka was the greatest emperor of the Mauryan Empire [2][3] He ruled from 268-232 BC. His name means "without sorrow".[4] Ashoka is often cited as one of India's greatest emperors. After a number of military conquests, he fought a war with the kingdom of Kalinga in which it there were approximately 200,000+ casualties. He conquered Kalinga (present-day Odisha) around 261 BCE. He created a vast empire with a highly centralized state. At its peak it included almost the entire Indian subcontinent.
| Ashoka अशोक | |
|---|---|
| Universal Ruler Beloved of the Gods Humane | |
 Ashoka with his empress Tishyarakshita, at Kanaganahalli near Sannati, 1st–3rd century CE. | |
| Emperor of the Maurya Empire | |
| c. 268 – 232 BCE[1] | |
| c. 269 BCE[1] | |
| Predecessor | Bindusara |
| Successor | Dasharatha Maurya |
| Crown Prince of Magadha | |
| Predecessor | Susima |
| Successor | Kunala |
| Viceroy of Avantirastra | |
| Born | c. 304 BCE Pataliputra, Magadha, Mauryan Empire (near present day Patna) |
| Died | 232 BCE Pataliputra, Magadha, Mauryan Empire |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue |
|
| Dynasty | Maurya |
| Father | Bindusara Maurya |
| Mother | Subhadrangi or Dharma[note 1] |
| Religion | Converted to Buddhism |
Afterwards, shaken by his brutal victory, he decided to leave weapons and lead with peace, not war.Some of major reasons why he did this is because of total blood shed in the Kalinga war, The oaths he took to marry his Buddhist wife and he started to believe more on Buddhist practices and preachings of Non violence.To do this, he set up hospitals for animals and humans, created shaded and rested areas along roads for weary travellers to rest, and dug wells in villages. We know these things about his life through various inscriptions (writing) on rocks and pillars. Ashoka also convinced people to follow Dharma. He was a great patron of Buddhism and helped to spread it. The national emblem of India and the "Ashok Chakra" are created by Ashoka. It is in the flag to keep a remembrance of him.
Ashoka Media
Ashoka's Major Rock Edict at Junagadh contains inscriptions by Ashoka (fourteen of the Edicts of Ashoka), Rudradaman I and Skandagupta.
The Aramaic Inscription of Taxila probably mentions Ashoka.
Sarnath Ashoka Lions with Dharma Wheel
Stupa of Sanchi. The central stupa was built during the Mauryas, and enlarged during the Shungas, but the decorative gateway is dated to the later dynasty of the Satavahanas.
Sanchi Great Stupa Mauryan configuration
Ashoka and Monk Moggaliputta-Tissa at the Third Buddhist Council. Nava Jetavana, Shravasti.
An emperor – most probably Ashoka – with his two empresses Asandhimitra and Karuvaki and three attendants, in a relief at Sanchi[5] The emperor's identification with Ashoka is suggested by a similar relief at Kanaganahalli, which bears his name.[6][5]
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Singh 2008, p. 331.
- ↑ The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience (2021)Oxford University Press. p. 467–468. ISBN 9780199772360.
- ↑ Emperor Ashoka and Spread of Buddhism. Buddhist Potpourri (6 October 2009). Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ↑ Strong, John S.. The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna (in en) (1989)Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. p. 205. ISBN 978-81-208-0616-0.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Singh 2017, p. 162.
- ↑ Singh 2008, p. 333.
Notes
- ↑ The North Indian tradition states, Subhadrangi as the name of Ashoka's mother, while the Sri Lankan tradition mention her name as Dharma.