Ashoka
Ashoka was a famous emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty of Magadh ruling South Asia[5] who ruled from 268-232 BC. His name means "Without Sorrow".[6]
| Ashoka | |
|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Reign | c. 268 – 232 BCE[1] |
| Coronation | 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 | Supported Buddhism[2][3] but also propagated dharma ("righteousness")[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 there was said to be 200,000+ casualties. He conquered Kalinga (present-day Odisha) around 261 BCE.
Afterwards, shaken by his brutal victory, he decided to leave weapons and lead with peace, not war. 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. The national emblem of India and the "Ashok Chakra" are created by Ashoka. It is in the flag to keep a remembrance of him.
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Singh 2008, p. 331.
- ↑ Strong, John S. (2002–2003). Faure, Bernard (ed.). "Aśoka's Wives and the Ambiguities of Buddhist Kingship". Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie. 13. Paris: École française d'Extrême-Orient: 35–54. doi:10.3406/asie.2002.1176. eISSN 2117-6272. JSTOR 44167352. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ↑ Lahiri 2015, p. 219.
- ↑ Peter Fibiger Bang, Christopher Bayly (2021). The Oxford World History Of Empire Volume Two The History Of Empires. p. 208.
Aśoka placed Buddhism side by side with Brahmanism, Jainism, and the Ajivikas in his edicts and stressed that his dhamma was not the doctrine of one religion but was universal.
- ↑ "Emperor Ashoka and Spread of Buddhism". Buddhist Potpourri. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ↑ Strong, John S. (1989). The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 205. ISBN 978-81-208-0616-0.
- ↑ The North Indian tradition states, Subhadrangi as the name of Ashoka's mother, while the Sri Lankan tradition mention her name as Dharma.
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