Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta, was one of the first royal patrons of Buddhism. The first was, perhaps, Bimbisara, who lived at the time of the Buddha. Ashoka's legend is recorded in a second century book called the "Ashokavadana" which was translated into Chinese by Fa-ch'in in 300 A.D. He is also known from his edicts written on rocks and pillars throughout India. Ashoka was known as Canda Ashoka, the fierce Ashoka, due to his aggressive nature.

On hearing of his father's impending death, he hurried to the Capital, Pataliputra, where, after occupying it, he killed all of the rival princes with the exception of his own brother. This brutality met with the opposition of the populace, delaying his coronation for four years. He ascended to the throne in 270 B.C. Eight years into his reign, he invaded Kalinga (modern Orissa) killing many thousands of people in battle whilst many thousands died from the effects of the war. This was the turning point of his life. He halted his military campaigns and, being a Buddhist, he focused his attention instead to religious conquests, known as Dharmavijaya. He appointed his officers to tour the country on religious missions.

Following this Council, he decided to extend his missions to other countries, which included the Ionian Greeks, Ghandar, Kashmir, the Himalayan Regions, Mysore. Ceylon. Burma, Malaya and Sumatra. He sent his son, Mahendra, and his daughter Sanghamitra to Ceylon and their visit is celebrated in Sri Lanka by public holidays to this day. His 13th Rock Edict records that he tried to spread Buddhism to the kingdoms of Antiochus II, King of Syria, Ptolemy of Egypt, Antigonos of Macedonia, Alexander of Epirus (Northern Greece) and Magas in Cyrenia (North Africa). What a difference modern history may have been had he succeeded. Under Asoka, nearly the whole of the Indian Continent was unified for the first time in history. Dharma meant for Asoka morality, active social concern, religious tolerance, ecological awareness, and observance of ethical precepts and renunciation of war.

For some generations after the death of Gautama, these high and noble Buddhist teachings, this first plain teaching that the highest good for man is the subjugation of self, made comparatively little headway in the world. Then they conquered the imagination of one of the greatest monarchs the world has ever seen.

Alexander the Great came down into India and fought with Porus upon the Indus. It is related by the Greek historians that a certain Chandragupta Maurya came into Alexander’s camp and tried to persuade him to go on to the Ganges and conquer all India. Alexander could not do this because of the refusal of his Macedonians to go further into what was for them an unknown world, and later on (321 B.C.) Chandragupta was able to secure the help of various hill tribes and realize his dream without Greek help. He built up an empire in North India and was presently (303 B.C.) able to attack Seleucus I in the Punjab and drive the last vestige of Greek power out of India. His son extended this new empire. His grandson, Ashoka, the monarch of whom we now have to tell, found himself in 264 B.C. ruling from Afghanistan to Madras.

Ashoka was at first disposed to follow the example of his father and grandfather and complete the conquest of the Indian peninsula. He invaded Kalinga (255 B.C.), a country on the east coast of Madras, he was successful in his military operations and-alone among conquerors-he was so disgusted by the cruelty and horror of war that he renounced it. He would have no more of it. He adopted the peaceful doctrines of Buddhism and declared that henceforth his conquests should be the conquests of religion.

Ashoka became the lord of Kalinga as he had wished. But the victory brought him not joy but grief. The sights of grim slaughter he had seen dimmed the pride of victory. Whether Ashoka was resting, sleeping or awake, the scenes of agony and death he had seen on the battlefield haunted him at all times; he could not have peace of mind even for a moment.

Ashoka understood that the flames of war not only burn and destroy on the battlefield but spread to other fields and destroy many innocent lives. The suffering caused by war does not end on the battlefield; it continues to poison the minds and lives of the survivors for a long time. At this time Ashoka was at the height of his power; he was the head of a vast empire; he had no equal in wealth or armed strength. And yet the Kalinga war, which was his first war, also became his last war! The power of arms bowed before the power of Dharma (righteousness).

Ashoka swore that he would never again take to arms and that he would never again commit such a crime against humanity. And it proved to be the oath of a man of iron would.

The teaching of Buddha brought peace to Ashoka who was haunted by memories of the agony he had seen in Kalinga. Buddha’s message of nonviolence, kind- ness and love of mankind appealed to the unhappy Ashoka. A disciple ofBuddha. Upagupta initiated him into Buddhism. From that day Ashoka’s heart became the home of compassion, right living, love and nonviolence. He gave up hunting and eating meat. He put an end to the killing of animals for the royal kitchen. Realizing that it was not enough if he lived a righteous life, he proclaimed that all his subjects also should live a life of righteousness.

Ashoka did not think of the good of only his subjects; he thought of the good of all mankinds’. He wished to win the hearts of people and to serve the world through religion and through good will and good action. He decided to dedicate his energy and all his powers and wealth to this goal.

The first thing that Ashoka did to spread righteousness among his people was to undertake a pilgrimage. It took place two years the Kalinga war. His pilgrimage started with his visit so Sambodhi, the holy place where Gauthama, the Buddha breathed his last. He visited other holy places during the pilgrimage. Ashoka has explained in his own words the purpose of his pilgrimage. ‘To meet Brahmins and Shramanas and to give gifts to them. To meet the elders and to honor them with gifts of gold. To meet people and to preach the law of Dharma and to discuss Dharma.’ These were the important objects.

Ashoka was not content with visiting holy places. He believed that the message of Dharma should not become stagnant like standing water. He wanted it to spread within India and outside, too. He wanted the people of the world to bathe in its pure steam and purify themselves. Therefore he undertook a great task, which would be enduring. He got the laws of Dharma engraved on rocks and stone pillars both inside and outside the country. These inscriptions related to Dharma, social ethics and moral living. Ashoka himself has proclaimed that his desire was that his message should reach the people of all lands and enable them to follow and propagate the Dharma for the welfare of the world. Such inscriptions can be seen even today both in India and outside. In India they have been discovered in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and at Siddapura of Chitradurga District, Koppala and Maski in Raichur District of Karnataka. Outside India they have been found in Peshawar District in Pakistan as well as near Khadahar in Afghanistan and on the borders of Nepal.

His reign for eight-and-twenty years was one of the brightest interludes in the troubled history of mankind. He organized a great digging of wells in India and the planting of trees for shade. He founded hospitals and public gardens and gardens for the growing of medicinal herbs. He created a ministry for the care of the aborigines and subject races of India. He made provision for the education of women. He made vast benefactions to the Buddhist teaching orders, and tried to stimulate them to a better and more energetic criticism of their own accumulated literature. For corruptions and superstitious accretions had accumulated very speedily upon the pure and simple teaching of the great Indian master. Missionaries went from Asoka to Kashmir, to Persia, to Ceylon and Alexandria.

Ashoka who was the embodiment of pity, kindness and love unfortunately had to suffer much in his old age. The reason was this-his sons, Mahendra, Kunala and Teevala were engaged in spreading Buddhism and so his grandsons Dasharatha and Samprati started quarrelling over the right of succession to the throne. Even the queens quarreled over the issue. There was one among them, Tishyarakshite who was a wicked woman. Ashoka was a monk among kings and had given up all pomp and pleasures and lived a very simple life. This did not please Tishyarakshite who loved the life of ease and comfort. All this made Ashoka sad. By this time he had grown old. Not much is known about the last ten years of his life and about his death. Some say, ‘The emperor got disgusted in life and therefore he went on a pilgrimage as a Buddhist monk with his teacher, for the peace of his mind. At last he reached Taxila and stayed there. Ashoka, the beloved of Gods and men, left the earth at the age of seventy-two.’

For thirty-seven years Ashoka ruled over a vast realm as an able emperor, a skilled lawgiver, a hero who knew no defeat, a monk among the kings, a noble preacher of Dharma and as a friend of his subjects. He is unique in the history of mankind.

Ashoka has called himself ‘Devanampriya’ and ‘Priyadarshi’ ion his inscriptions. ‘Devanampriya’ means the beloved of the Gods and ‘Priyadarshi means one those appearance brings joy. These names are appropriate to Ashoka’s nature. The Gods cannot but love a man of such virtues. There was no one to check him, no one to punish him if he did wrong. But he became his own teacher and checked his desires. He dedicated his life to the happiness and welfare of his people; it is no wonder that his subjects rejoiced when they saw him.

Some historians say that Ashoka followed the teachings of Buddhism so devotedly that he himself became a Buddhist monk. Though he was the emperor he probably stayed in the Viharas often. When he stayed in the Viharas often. When he stayed in Viharas he must have fasted like the monk very strictly and must have rigidly observed religious practices. During his stay there he learnt the teachings of Buddha in great detail.

Ashoka passed away from this world two thousand years ago, but his empire of truthfulness, Dharma, nonviolence, compassion and love of subjects has remained an ideal for the world to this day. This empire is deathless. Therefore H.G.Wells, an English historian, has said, “In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves ‘Their Highnesses’, ‘Their majesties’ and ‘Their Exalted Majesties’ and so on. They shone for a brief movement and disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star even today.” This praise is fully merited. 

Tag: Ashoka, The King of India