Monday, December 2, 2019

Ashoka | Biography | History | Buddhism & Facts

                Ashoka, the most famous of all Mauryan rulers, was the first king to unify India. Also known as Ashoka the Great, he served as the governor of Takshila or Taxila and Ujjain and gained administrative experience during Bindusara's reign. Today, we continue this topic. Hello, I an Vinay, let's learn something new. 

एक युद्ध ऐसा भी जहां 6 दिन में 8 देशों हो धूल चटा दी गयी : पढ़ने के लिए क्लिक करें 

               Ashoka became emperor in 273 BCE, apparently after a bitter fight with his brothers. Soon after his accession, Ashoka went on a campaign of conquests. However, the war of Kalinga left a deep impact on him and he became the first ruler in ancient times to propagate peace instead of war.

THE KALINGA WAR AND ITS IMPACT

               Like his predecessors, Ashoka govened his empire well and tried to extend its boundaries. Kalinga was the only kingdom that was not controlled by the Mauryas. It was important as it controlled the routes to south India and Southeast Asia by land and sea.
Ashoka realized the importance of Kalinga and a historic battle for Kalinga was fought. This war changed Ashoka's life, for though Kalinga was conquered, the loss was very heavy. Ashoka was horrified when he saw the violence and bloodshed and he decided not to fight wars anymore. 
              He was a king who gave up conquest after winning a war. For the rest of his life, he remained peaceful, involving himself in efficient administration, and working towards instilling good values in his subjects. He became a follower of the Buddha and devoted the rest of his life to his Dhamma. Dhamma is a Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word Dharma, meaning 'religions duty/law/beliefs and practices'. Dhammavijaya (conquest through dharma and not wars) became his goal.

GRAVITATIONAL FORCE: DEFINITION, EQUATION & EXAMPLES

ASHOKA'S DHAMMA

              Though inspired by Buddhism, Ashoka's Dhamma Was essentially his ideas on society and governance. He saw him as a father to his subjects ans felt that he had a moral duty to instil good values in his people. He spoke directly to his people through his edicts.
Ashoka encouraged his subjects to be 
  • Non-violent
  • Tolerant and respectful towards others religious beliefs
  • Truthful
  • Respectful towards one's elders, especially parents and teachers
  • Kind and charitable to all, especially slaves and sevants. 
             This policy was meant to bring the people of his empire to gether and inculcate in them a spirit of tolerance, non-violence, and respect for each other.

ASHOKAN EDICTS

             Ashoka was the first ruler to communicate to his subjects through edicts. To spread his ideas, Ashoka got his messages inscribed on stone pillars, caves, boulders, and rocks, so that people could read them .These edicts were widely spread throughout his empire. They conveyed Ashoka's ideas on administrations behavior of people towards one another and their elders, religions, etc.
             The stone pillars of Ashoka were carved out of a solid rock and were polished like metal. The capital of the pillar was crowned with figures of bull and lions. The most famous pillar is the one at Sarnath. It has four lions carved at the top. This Lion Capital is now the national emblem of India and the picture of this Lion Capital is found on Indian currency. 

ASHOKA'S ADMINISTRATIVE AND RELIGIOUS MEASURES
  • His edicts were usually written in Prakrit, the language of the common people. They are written in Greek , Kharosthi, and Aramaic in north-west India.
  • He appointed officials , known as dhamma mahamatras, who went from place to pleace teaching people about dhamma. Ashoka himself went on tours of inspections called dhamma yatras.
  • He set an example before his people and gave uss hunting and eating of meat.
  • Ashoka treated his subjects as his own children and worked for their welfare. He built roads, rest houses, hospitals for animals and human beings, planted trees, and got wells dug so that his people could be comfortable and happy. 
  • Since he was a follower of the Buddha. He encouraged the propagation of Buddhism in India and far-off places. His son, Mahendra and daughter, Sanghmitra joined the sangha and went to Sri lanka to spread Buddhist teachings. Ashoka convened the Third Buddist council at Patliputa to help remove differences among the Buddhist groups.
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