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The Reign of Ashoka
(273-232 BC)PRESENTED BY…..
Subhasish DasDept.- EE
Class Roll No.- 11/EE/4019WBUT Roll No.- 14801611055
WBUT Registration No.- 111480110461
TABLE OF CONTENT
IntroductionFamily BackgroundPersonal InformationRise to PowerQuestionable Hereditary SuccessionEarly Life as EmperorConquest of KalingaA Sudden Change of
HeartBuddhist ConversionMission to Spread BuddhismDeath and LegacyThe Edicts of King AshokaConclusionBibliography
INTRODUCTIONThe high point of the Mauryan empire Conquered the kingdom of Kalinga, 260 BC.Ruled through tightly organized bureaucracy Established capital at Pataliputra Policies of encouraging agriculture and trade Dedicated his life to Buddhism.Built Extensive roads.Conflict How to balance Kautilya’s method of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?
FAMILY BACKGROUNDBorn in 304 BC to the mauryan emperor bindusara
and his queen, dharma [or dhamma].
The grandson of chandragupta maurya, founder of
mauryan dynasty.
Although dharma was of priestly lineage, the fact
that she was not royal by birth made her a very low-
status consort in the harem.
Had several elder siblings, whom were his half-
brothers from other wives of bindusara.
One younger sibling, vitthashoka, another son of
dharma.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Quickly grew into an excellent warrior
His command on the mauryan army
started growing day by day
His elder brothers became suspicious of
him being favoured as the next emperor.
The eldest son of bindusara, prince
susima, convinced him to send asoka to
takshashila
Went to kalinga, where he met a
fisherwoman named kaurwaki.
RISE TO POWERAshoka was stationed at ujjayini as
governor.
Bindusara's death in 273 bc led to a
war over succession
Ashoka was supported by his father's
ministers.
Ashoka managed to become the king
by getting rid of the legitimate heir to
the throne
Tricking him into entering a pit filled
with live coals.
Questionable Hereditary Succession
Bindusara became gravely ill
Ashoka killed 99 of his brothers, sparing only
one, named tissa
The coronation happened in 269 BC, four
years after his succession to the throne
Eliminated his own brothers so that he could
succeed his father
EARLY LIFE AS EMPERORAshoka was anointed the new emperor
or ruler of the mauryan empire in 274 BC
He is said to have been of a wicked
nature and bad temper
Built hell on earth, an elaborate and
horrific torture chamber
Earned him the name of chand ashoka
(sanskrit), meaning ashoka the fierce
Expanded his empire over the next eight
years
Conquest of Kalinga
Continued.....
Began in the 8th year of Ashoka's reign, probably in 261
BC
After a bloody battle, Ashoka tried to annex kalinga
In the aftermath of the battle of kalinga the daya river
running next to the battle field turned red with the blood of
the slain
100,000 kalinga civilians and more than 10,000 of
ashoka's own warriors were among those slain
A Sudden Change of HeartAfter the battle in a tour of city, he could see nothing except 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?
Continued…..
•The mammoth loss of life and suffering
witnessed on the battlefield made him turn
away from war
•He felt that he was the cause of the destruction
•His queen, Devi, who was a Buddhist, left him
after seeing the brutality at Kalinga
•Ashoka realized the consequences of wars and
battles
BUDDHIST CONVERSIONThe brutality of the conquest led Ashoka to adopt
Buddhism
Embraced buddhism under the brahmin buddhist sages,
radhaswami and manjushri
He made buddhism his state religion around 260 BC
Can be credited with making the first serious attempt to
develop a Buddhist policy
Propagated and preached it within his domain and
worldwide from about 250 BC
Missions to Spread Buddhism
Kashmir-Gandhara MajjhantikaMahisamandala (Mysore) - Mahadeva Vanavasi (Tamil Nadu) - Rakkhita Maharattha (Maharashtra) - Mahadhammarakkhita "Country of the Yona" (Bactria/ Seleucid Empire) -
Maharakkhita Himavanta (Nepal) - Majjhima Suvannabhumi (Thailand/ Myanmar) - Sona and Uttara Lankadipa (Sri Lanka) - Mahamahinda Aparantaka (Gujarat and Sindh) - Yona Dhammarakkhita
He sent his missionaries to the following places:
DEATH & LEGACYAshoka ruled for an estimated forty years
He had numerous wives and many heirs but
most of their name are lost
He had entrusted to Mahindra and
Sanghamitra the job of making his state
religion
Ashoka died in 232 BC
After his death, the Mauryan dynasty lasted
just fifty more years
The Edicts of King Ashoka The Rock Edicts -
THE FOURTEEN ROCK EDICTSKALINGA ROCK EDICTSMINOR ROCK EDICTSTHE SEVEN PILLAR EDICTSMINOR PILLAR EDICTS
The pillars of Ashoka were erected by him during his reign in the 3rd century BCThe Stupas of Sanchi are world famous and the stupa named SanchiStupa was built by Emperor AshokaAshoka'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”.
ROCK EDICTS OF AHOKA
Elephant at Kalinga war site-Orissa
Minor Rock Edict site- Madhya Pradesh
Rock Edict at Junagadh Major Rock Edict at Girnar, Gujarat
CONCLUSIONRight from his childhood days Ashoka showed great promise in the field of weaponry skills as well as academics Although Ashoka was known as Cruel Ashoka but He felt that he was the cause of the destruction which made him turn away from war and adopt BuddhismIn fact, he can be credited with making the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy. Buddhism received a significant boost of popularity when Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Throughout his life, 'Asoka the Great' followed the policy of nonviolence He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and renovating major roads throughout India. After this transformation, Ashoka came to be known as Dhammashoka Ashoka tried to make the lives better and Ashoka is honored today
BIBLIOGRAPHY