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Ashoka: Ashoka's Kalinga War,Dhamma Policy and Rock Edicts

By Saily

 

Ashoka

  • Ashoka was the Governor of Avanti, before ascending the throne.
  •  During his fathers' reign, he also went Taxila to supress the rebellion.
  • According to the Buddhist traditions, Ashoka was extremely cruel in his early life and sat on the throne after killing his 99 brothers, however there is no historical authenticity of this. Dipavamsa states that in the year 273 BC, he captured the Magadha empire but crowned in 269 BC with the help of his abled minister Radhagupta.
  • Ashoka was the first Indian king, who gave Royal public orders through his Edicts.
  • Information about Ashoka's reign can be obtained from his inscriptions, which can be categorised in five types:

1.    Major rock inscriptions

2.     Minor rock inscriptions

3.     Separate inscriptions 

4.    . Major pillar inscriptions

5.    . Minor pillar inscriptions

  • Ashoka addressed his subjects as 'son' and called himself as 'Devanam Piyadassi". His name Ashoka was found only at three places in Karnataka and one in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Ashoka's inscriptions composed in Prakrit and are written in Brahmi script in most parts of the empire however, inscriptions from North-Western part are written in Kharosthi and Aramaic script.

Major Rock Edict

They were found at distant locations of Mauryan

Kalsi-Uttarakhand

Sopara-Maharashtra

Girnar-Gujarat

Yerragudi-Andhra Pradesh

Kandahar-Afghanistan

Dhauli and Jaugada-Odisha

Manshera and Shahbazgarhi-Pakistan


Fourteen Major Rock Edicts

1. MRE I It prohibits animal slaughter particularly during festive season. Only two peacocks and one deer were allowed to be killed in his royal kitchen.

2. MRE II It provides medical treatment for man and animal. The edict also talks about four kingdoms of South, Chola, Pandyas, Satyaputras and Kerelaputras.

3. MRE III Yuktas and Pradeshikas along with Rajuka shall visit all areas of kingdom once in every 5 years to spread Dhamma. It also talks about generosity with Brahmins. 

4. MRE IV It gave importance to Dhamma Ghosha (Sound of Dhamma) over Bheri Ghosha (sound of war). It also emphasised that duty is most important. 

5. MRE V It talks about appointment of Dhamma Mahamattas to propagate Dhamma and to look after the welfare of the people.

6. MRE VI It shows King's desire to get informed about his subject's well-being.

7. MRE VII It talks about adoption of the policy of or all religions tolerance

8. MRE VIII It describes Ashoka's first Dhamma yatras toBodhgaya and Bodhi Tree.

9. MRE IX It stresses on moral duties of citizens and also condemns popular ceremonies (birth, marriage etc).

10. MRE X It stresses on Dhamma and condemns an individual's attempt to fame and glory.

11. MRE XI Ashoka explains about the policy of Dhamma and duties towards elders and abstaining from killing animals and liberal behaviour towards friends. 

12. MRE XII It talks about religious tolerance,particularly about non-Buddhist religions.

13. MRE XIII It is the lengthiest of all edicts. It laid paramount importance of Ashoka's policy of Dhamma; mentions about the Kalinga war, Dhamma Victory over kingdoms of far West and South India.

14. MRE XIV It talks about engravings of inscriptions in other parts of the territory and purpose of the edicts.

 

Ashoka's Minor Rock Edicts

1.    Yerraguddi - Andhra Pradesh

2.    Rupnath - Madhya Pradesh

3.    Brahmagiri- Karnataka

4.    Bhabru - Rajasthan

5.    Sidhpur - Karnataka

6.    Ahrora - Uttar Pradesh

7.    Jating Rameshwar - Karnataka

8.    Govimath - Karnataka

9.     Panguradia - Madhya Pradesh

10.    Rajul Mandgiri - Andhra Pradesh

11.     Sannati - Karnataka

12.     Maski - Karnataka

13.     Palki gundu - Karnataka 

14.     Gurjara-Madhya Pradesh

15.     shasaram - Bihar

 

Ashoka's Kalinga War

Ashoka's domestic and foreign policies were influenced by the Buddhist ideology. After becoming the emperor, he fought the major war, popularly known as Kalinga War in 261 BC.

• Ashoka successfully conquered Kalinga. It became the fifth province of the Magadha alon with Prachaya, Avanti, Uttarpatha and Dakshinapatha.

According to the Buddhist literature, lakhs of people were killed in this war, lakhs of people were wounded and 1,50000 people were prisoners of war.

• Ashoka was deeply moved by the large scale massacre in the Kalinga war. He adopted Dhamma-Ghosha in place of Bheri-Ghosha.

 

Dhamma Policy of Ashoka


  • Ashoka became Buddhist after Kalinga war. He provided immense donations to promoted Dhamma Yatra. According to traditional Anushrutis, Ashoka organised thi Buddhist Council.
  • Ashoka set a very high ideal for himself i.e., th king being equal to the father. Ashoka appointed Dhammamahamattas to propagate Dhamma among different sections of the society including women.
  • Ashoka's Dhamma Policy was not only religiously motivated, but he consciously tried use as his state policy as well.
  • Ashoka sent his missionaries to promote Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Central Asia. Ashok used to ask the tribes to follow the path of Dhamma.
  • Ashoka appointed officer called Rajuka who ha the right to reward to save Dhamma and punish the subjects if they violate Dhamma.
  • It is known from the Kandahar inscription that due to the policy of Ashoka's Dhamma, the fowlers and fishermen also renounced the violence and lived the life of the farm producers
  • Ashoka opposed rituals and traditions specially prevailed among women. He banned killings of various birds and animals.
  •  Ashoka taught people the lesson of live and let live. He taught kindness towards living beings and good behaviour towards brothers.
  • Before Ashoka, the Egyptian king Akhnatun adopted a Pacifist policy (Policy of opposing war in the 14th century BC.

Evaluation of Ashoka

  • Ashoka tried to establish pan India empire through his ability and spread the fame of the Mauryan Empire inside and outside the country.
  • Ashoka was successful in uniting the whole country under the principal of one religion, one language and often one script.
  • Most of Ashoka's inscriptions are in Brahmi script but in the integration of the country, he respected all scripts like Brahmi, Kharosthi, Aramaic and Greek.
  • Ashoka's name is immortalised in history for his policy of peace, non-aggression and cultural conquest. 
  • Kautilya advised the king that he should always try to win by power, but Ashoka adopted the exact opposite i.e., the king should try to win through the means of benevolence.
  • During the reign of Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire became highly complex which could not survive after the death of Ashoka.
  • In 232 BC, after Ashoka's death, the neighbouring kings captured the North-Western frontier of this empire.

Ashoka's Successors

  •  After Ashoka, the rule of his weak successors continued for the next 50 years.
  • After Ashoka, his son Kunal became the next emperor, he was called Dharma Vivardhan in Divyaavadan.
  • According to Rajatarangini, the ruler of Kashmir was Jaluka during the rule of Kunal in Magadha.
  •  The names of Samprati, Dasharatha, Shalishuka and Brihadratha (Last Mauryan Ruler) are known as the later Mauryan rulers.

 

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Bindusara (297 BCE-272 BCE)                                                                                                                                                                        Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BCE)


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