Short biography of ashoka the great

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For other uses, witness Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not to be confused constant Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), fairy story popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until his death in 232 BCE, become peaceful the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a chunky part of the Indian subcontinent, tension from present-day Afghanistan in the westernmost to present-day Bangladesh in the eastside, with its capital at Pataliputra. Ingenious patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role razor-sharp the spread of Buddhism across full of years Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka refurbish that during his eighth regnal period (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga back a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently devout himself to the propagation of "dhamma" or righteous conduct, the major constituency of the edicts. Ashoka's edicts offer a suggestion that a few years after depiction Kalinga War, he was gradually unpopular towards Buddhism. The Buddhist legends worth Ashoka with establishing a large installment of stupas, patronising the Third Buddhistic council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, making charitable donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's animation as a historical emperor had wellnigh been forgotten, but since the paraphrasing in the 19th century of multiplicity written in the Brahmi script, Ashoka holds a reputation as one motionless the greatest Indian emperors. The Present Emblem of the modern Republic look up to India is an adaptation of character Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's spin, the Ashoka Chakra, is adopted kid the centre of the National Drain of India.

Sources of information

Information go up to Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, concerning inscriptions that mention him or apprehend possibly from his reign, and past literature, especially Buddhist texts. These store often contradict each other, although many historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the earliest self-representations of imperial power in the Soldier subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are convergent mainly on the topic of dhamma, and provide little information regarding blot aspects of the Maurya state espousal society. Even on the topic longawaited dhamma, the content of these inscriptions cannot be taken at face regulate. In the words of American statutory John S. Strong, it is at times helpful to think of Ashoka's messages as propaganda by a politician whose aim is to present a efficacious image of himself and his conduct, rather than record historical facts.

A squat number of other inscriptions also accommodate some information about Ashoka. For illustration, he finds a mention in honesty 2nd century Junagadh rock inscription fence inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions splendid lost word beginning with "Priyadari", which is theorised to be Ashoka's give a call "Priyadarshi" since it has been dense in Aramaic of 3rd century BCE, although this is not certain. Brutal other inscriptions, such as the Sohgaura copper plate inscription and the Mahasthan inscription, have been tentatively dated stamp out Ashoka's period by some scholars, though others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much of picture information about Ashoka comes from Faith legends, which present him as out great, ideal emperor. These legends become known in texts that are not new to Ashoka and were composed get ahead of Buddhist authors, who used various fairy-tale to illustrate the impact of their faith on Ashoka. This makes something to do necessary to exercise caution while relying on them for historical information. Amidst modern scholars, opinions range from candid dismissal of these legends as fabled to acceptance of all historical portions that seem plausible.

The Buddhist legends solicit Ashoka exist in several languages, containing Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Chinese, Burmese, Kampuchean, Sinhala, Thai, Lao, and Khotanese. Explosion these legends can be traced pan two primary traditions:

• the North Indian contributions preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts much as Divyavadana (including its constituent Ashokavadana); and Chinese sources such as A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved in Pali-language texts, such as Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a commentary on Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's explanation on the Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There muddle several significant differences between the glimmer traditions. For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role in assembly the Third Buddhist council, and coronet dispatch of several missionaries to pensive regions, including his son Mahinda brand Sri Lanka. However, the North Asian tradition makes no mention of these events. It describes other events throng together found in the Sri Lankan charitable trust, such as a story about other son named Kunala.

Even while narrating blue blood the gentry common stories, the two traditions fork in several ways. For example, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Transplant destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the empress manages to have the tree healed funding she realises her mistake. In greatness Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys the apparatus, but only after a branch invoke the tree has been transplanted burst Sri Lanka. In another story, both the texts describe Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts to collect a relic of Gautama Buddha from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, do something fails to do so because take action cannot match the devotion of rectitude Nāgas who hold the relic; yet, in the Mahavamsa, he fails appoint do so because the Buddha challenging destined the relic to be enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka. Using such stories, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the new take care of of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, and anthropology evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in the lists warm Mauryan emperors in the various Puranas. However, these texts do not sheep further details about him, as their Brahmanical authors were not patronised timorous the Mauryans. Other texts, such chimp the Arthashastra and Indica of Megasthenes, which provide general information about decency Maurya period, can also be hand-me-down to make inferences about Ashoka's different. However, the Arthashastra is a received text that focuses on an paragon rather than a historical state, service its dating to the Mauryan age is a subject of debate. Excellence Indica is a lost work, good turn only parts of it survive withdraw the form of paraphrases in afterwards writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions exceptional Kashmiri king Ashoka of Gonandiya house who built several stupas: some scholars, such as Aurel Stein, have determinate this king with the Maurya nymphalid Ashoka; others, such as Ananda Weak. P. Guruge dismiss this identification renovation inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose fame only appears in the Minor Teeter Edicts, is not the same because king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being a relatively widespread title for "King"), who evolution named as the author of probity Major Pillar Edicts and the Higher ranking Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living in the 3rd century BCE, was probably the son of Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks despite the fact that Amitrochates, and only advocated for purity ("Dharma") in his Major Pillar Edicts and Major Rock Edicts, without devious mentioning Buddhism, the Buddha, or excellence Sangha (the single notable exception review the 7th Edict of the Older Pillar Edicts which does mention representation Sangha, but is a considered efficient later fake by Beckwith).^[28] Also, greatness geographical spread of his inscription shows that Piyadasi ruled a vast Power, contiguous with the Seleucid Empire row the West.^[28]

On the contrary, for Beckwith, Ashoka was a later king condemn the 1st–2nd century CE, whose designation only appears explicitly in the Delicate Rock Edicts and allusively in nobleness Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention the Buddha and the Sangha, explicitly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The name "Priyadarsi" does occur in two of dignity minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), however Beckwith again considers them as ulterior fabrications.^[28] The minor inscriptions cover tidy very different and much smaller geographic area, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions of that later Ashoka were typical of interpretation later forms of "normative Buddhism", which are well attested from inscriptions coupled with Gandhari manuscripts dated to the return to normal of the millennium, and around probity time of the Kushan Empire.^[28] Leadership quality of the inscriptions of that Ashoka is significantly lower than high-mindedness quality of the inscriptions of illustriousness earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many of Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations concerning early Buddhism, inscriptions, and archaeological sites have been criticized by other scholars, such as Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names added titles

The name "A-shoka" literally means "without sorrow". According to an Ashokavadana story, his mother gave him this term because his birth removed her sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is associated with Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century CE Dipavamsa.^[31] The term literally means "he who regards amiably", or "of gracious mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi). It may have anachronistic a regnal name adopted by Ashoka.^[33] A version of this name decay used for Ashoka in Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

Ashoka's inscriptions touch on his title Devanampiya (Sanskrit: Devanampriya, "Beloved of the Gods"). The identification refreshing Devanampiya and Ashoka as the assign person is established by the Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these terms for the king. Significance title was adopted by other kings, including the contemporary king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact date of Ashoka's inception is not certain, as the persisting contemporary Indian texts did not copy such details. It is known wander he lived in the 3rd hundred BCE, as his inscriptions mention distinct contemporary rulers whose dates are consign with more certainty, such as Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, General II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, person in charge Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Fashion, Ashoka must have been born previous in the late 4th century BCE or early 3rd century BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the throne sustain 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions are objectively detailed but make no mention fortify his ancestors. Other sources, such trade in the Puranas and the Mahavamsa native land that his father was the Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder of greatness Empire. The Ashokavadana also names empress father as Bindusara, but traces dominion ancestry to Buddha's contemporary king Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. Grandeur 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a distorted version have possession of the earlier traditions, describes Ashoka thanks to son of king Nemita of Champarana from the daughter of a merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was high-mindedness daughter of a Brahmin from Champa, and was prophesied to marry swell king. Accordingly, her father took restlessness to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does crowd mention her by name, although distress legends provide different names for crack up. For example, the Asokavadanamala calls arrangement Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, calligraphic commentary on Mahavamsa, calls her "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), and states go off at a tangent she belonged to the Moriya Hindu clan. A Divyavadana legend calls supreme Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda Vulnerable. P. Guruge, this is not clean name, but an epithet.

According to nobleness 2nd-century historian Appian, Chandragupta entered pay for a marital alliance with the Hellene ruler Seleucus I Nicator, which has led to speculation that either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara married copperplate Greek princess. However, there is ham-fisted evidence that Ashoka's mother or grannie was Greek, and most historians conspiracy dismissed the idea.

As a prince

Ashoka's tell inscriptions do not describe his prematurely life, and much of the notes on this topic comes from legendary legends written hundreds of years funding him. While these legends include patently fictitious details such as narratives pay the bill Ashoka's past lives, they have tedious plausible historical information about Ashoka's period.

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara disliked Ashoka because of his rough skin. Reschedule day, Bindusara asked the ascetic Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of his course of action was worthy of being his match. He asked all the princes peel assemble at the Garden of interpretation Golden Pavilion on the ascetic's guidance. Ashoka was reluctant to go by reason of his father disliked him, but climax mother convinced him to do deadpan. When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka disappearance the capital for the Garden, earth offered to provide the prince give up your job an imperial elephant for the crush. At the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined rank princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next emperor. To keep off annoying Bindusara, the ascetic refused go up against name the successor. Instead, he oral that one who had the superb mount, seat, drink, vessel and nourishment would be the next king; be fluent in time, Ashoka declared that he tumble the criterion. Later, he told Ashoka's mother that her son would produce the next emperor, and on barren advice, left the empire to shun Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest that Bindusara disliked Ashoka's ugly appearance, they as well state that Bindusara gave him interventionist responsibilities, such as suppressing a mutiny in Takshashila (according to north Amerindic tradition) and governing Ujjain (according pare Sri Lankan tradition). This suggests drift Bindusara was impressed by the all over the place qualities of the prince. Another prospect is that he sent Ashoka everywhere distant regions to keep him pat from the imperial capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched monarch Ashoka to suppress a rebellion add on the city of Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound in Pakistan). This episode disintegration not mentioned in the Sri Lankan tradition, which instead states that Bindusara sent Ashoka to govern Ujjain. Deuce other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra esoteric Kunala-sutra – state that Bindusara ordained Ashoka as a viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), not Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara provided Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising cavalry, elephants, chariots and infantry) but refused open to the elements provide any weapons for this concourse. Ashoka declared that weapons would engrave before him if he was faithless of being an emperor, and fortify, the deities emerged from the universe and provided weapons to the armed force. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, the mankind welcomed him and told him prowl their rebellion was only against ethics evil ministers, not the emperor. Quondam later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed perform the Khasa territory and the veranda gallery declared that he would go endorsement to conquer the whole earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous and geopolitically influential ambience, and historical evidence proves that provoke Ashoka's time, it was well-connected holiday at the Mauryan capital Pataliputra by prestige Uttarapatha trade route. However, no outstanding contemporary source mentions the Takshashila insurrection, and none of Ashoka's records states that he ever visited the eliminate. That said, the historicity of prestige legend about Ashoka's involvement in primacy Takshashila rebellion may be corroborated moisten an Aramaic-language inscription discovered at Sirkap near Taxila. The inscription includes straighten up name that begins with the writing book "prydr", and most scholars restore start as "Priyadarshi", which was the nickname of Ashoka. Another evidence of Ashoka's connection to the city may aptly the name of the Dharmarajika Tope near Taxila; the name suggests zigzag it was built by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The story about the deities miraculously transportation weapons to Ashoka may be leadership text's way of deifying Ashoka; character indicating that Bindusara – who unpopular Ashoka – wanted him to freeze up in Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According to class Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka as description Viceroy of Avantirastra (present day Ujjain district), which was an important managerial and commercial province in central Bharat. This tradition is corroborated by justness Saru Maru inscription discovered in main India; this inscription states that operate visited the place as a potentate. Ashoka's own rock edict mentions leadership presence of a prince viceroy inspect Ujjain during his reign, which newborn supports the tradition that he served as a viceroy at Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected to Ujjain by diverse routes in Ashoka's time, and flaw the way, Ashoka entourage may own encamped at Rupnath, where his legend has been found.

According to the Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, vicinity he fell in love with swell beautiful woman on his way conceal Ujjain. According to the Dipamvamsa person in charge Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter of a merchant. According to the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya line of Gautama Buddha. The Buddhist chroniclers may have fabricated the Shakya linking to connect Ashoka's family to Saint. The Buddhist texts allude to in exchange being a Buddhist in her subsequent years but do not describe overcome conversion to Buddhism. Therefore, it anticipation likely that she was already spruce Buddhist when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave birth homily Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, roost two years later, to a lass named Sanghamitta. According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was ordained draw on the age of 20 years, amid the sixth year of Ashoka's hegemony. That means Mahinda must have antediluvian 14 years old when Ashoka ascended the throne. Even if Mahinda was born when Ashoka was as ant as 20 years old, Ashoka forced to have ascended the throne at 34 years, which means he must scheme served as a viceroy for diverse years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends suggest ditch Ashoka was not the crown emperor, and his ascension on the chairwoman was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's progeny son Susima once slapped a arrant minister on his head in jibe. The minister worried that after ascensive the throne, Susima may jokingly injure him with a sword. Therefore, crystal-clear instigated five hundred ministers to investment Ashoka's claim to the throne what because the time came, noting that Ashoka was predicted to become a chakravartin (universal ruler). Sometime later, Takshashila rebelled again, and Bindusara dispatched Susima stand your ground curb the rebellion. Shortly after, Bindusara fell ill and was expected disturb die soon. Susima was still clod Takshashila, having been unsuccessful in silencing the rebellion. Bindusara recalled him touch the capital and asked Ashoka roughly march to Takshashila. However, the ministers told him that Ashoka was critical and suggested that he temporarily establish Ashoka on the throne until Susmia's return from Takshashila. When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka declared prowl if the throne were rightfully king, the gods would crown him by the same token the next emperor. At that precedent, the gods did so, Bindusara dull, and Ashoka's authority extended to integrity entire world, including the Yaksha habitation located above the earth and nobility Naga territory located below the plow. When Susima returned to the money, Ashoka's newly appointed prime minister Radhagupta tricked him into a pit search out charcoal. Susima died a painful cool, and his general Bhadrayudha became calligraphic Buddhist monk.

The Mahavamsa states that while in the manner tha Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka returned flesh out Pataliputra from Ujjain and gained constraint of the capital. After his father's death, Ashoka had his eldest kinsman killed and ascended the throne. Magnanimity text also states that Ashoka glue ninety-nine of his half-brothers, including Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that he stick a hundred of his brothers opinion was crowned four years later. Depiction Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika extreme had predicted this massacre based credence the interpretation of a dream admonishment Ashoka's mother. According to these financial affairs, only Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was spared. Other sources name the main brother Vitashoka, Vigatashoka, Sudatta (So-ta-to importance A-yi-uang-chuan), or Sugatra (Siu-ka-tu-lu in Fen-pie-kung-te-hun).

The figures such as 99 and Centred are exaggerated and seem to aptitude a way of stating that Ashoka killed several of his brothers. Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was knob illegitimate son of his predecessor, fasten six legitimate princes to ascend character throne. It is possible that Ashoka was not the rightful heir in depth the throne and killed a relative (or brothers) to acquire the leader. However, the Buddhist sources have grandiose the story, which attempts to tie him as evil before his convert to Buddhism. Ashoka's Rock Edict Ham-fisted. 5 mentions officers whose duties prolong supervising the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, and alcove relatives". This suggests that more surpass one of his brothers survived empress ascension. However, some scholars oppose that suggestion, arguing that the inscription huddle only about the families of king brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date detect ascension

According to the Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended the throne 218 years after depiction death of Gautama Buddha and ruled for 37 years. The date end the Buddha's death is itself dialect trig matter of debate, and the Northerly Indian tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after the Buddha's death, which has led to just starting out debates about the date.

Assuming that ethics Sri Lankan tradition is correct, presentday assuming that the Buddha died modern 483 BCE – a date trifling by several scholars – Ashoka mould have ascended the throne in 265 BCE. The Puranas state that Ashoka's father Bindusara reigned for 25 age, not 28 years as specified boil the Sri Lankan tradition. If that is true, Ashoka's ascension can just dated three years earlier, to 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but if surprise assume that the Buddha died lineage 486 BCE (a date supported spawn the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's rise can be dated to 268 BCE. The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka blessed himself as the emperor four time after becoming a sovereign. This interregnum can be explained assuming that sharptasting fought a war of succession sign out other sons of Bindusara during these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains a story line about Ashoka's minister Yashas hiding grandeur sun with his hand. Professor Proprietor. H. L. Eggermont theorised that that story was a reference to organized partial solar eclipse that was out of the ordinary in northern India on 4 Might 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a pilgrimage goslow various Buddhist sites sometime after that eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pillar inscription states that he visited Lumbini during king 21st regnal year. Assuming this on was a part of the journey described in the text, and exaggerated that Ashoka visited Lumbini around 1–2 years after the solar eclipse, rank ascension date of 268–269 BCE seems more likely. However, this theory decay not universally accepted. For example, according to John S. Strong, the carnival described in the Ashokavadana has fold up to do with chronology, and Eggermont's interpretation grossly ignores the literary extremity religious context of the legend.

Reign once Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan and Northern Indian traditions assert that Ashoka was a violent person before Buddhism. Taranatha also states that Ashoka was originally called "Kamashoka" because he spent distinct years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); forbidden was then called "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka honourableness fierce") because he spent some eld performing evil deeds; and finally, unquestionable came to be known as Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") after his transmutation to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", and describes several of cap cruel acts:

• The ministers who had helped him ascend the throne started treating him with contempt after his rising. To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them the absurd order of hurtful down every flower-and fruit-bearing tree. Like that which they failed to carry out that order, Ashoka personally cut off decency heads of 500 ministers.
• One day, about a stroll at a park, Ashoka and his concubines came across nifty beautiful Ashoka tree. The sight have the result that him in an amorous mood, on the other hand the women did not enjoy kissing his rough skin. Sometime later, while in the manner tha Ashoka fell asleep, the resentful platoon chopped the flowers and the copse of his namesake tree. After Ashoka woke up, he burnt 500 delineate his concubines to death as punishment.
• Alarmed by the king's involvement in specified massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta proposed employment an executioner to carry out outlook mass killings to leave the altered copy unsullied. Girika, a Magadha village schoolboy who boasted that he could sort out the whole of Jambudvipa, was leased for the purpose. He came ploy be known as Chandagirika ("Girika high-mindedness fierce"), and on his request, Ashoka built a jail in Pataliputra. Christened Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked lovely from the outside, but inside court case, Girika brutally tortured the prisoners. however was last executed during the desolation of ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese sightseer Faxian states that Ashoka personally visited the underworld to study torture approachs there and then invented his courses. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims correspond with have seen a pillar marking integrity site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa as well briefly alludes to Ashoka's cruelty, stating that Ashoka was earlier called Chandashoka because of his evil deeds on the contrary came to be called Dharmashoka being of his pious acts after conversion to Buddhism. However, unlike blue blood the gentry north Indian tradition, the Sri Lankan texts do not mention any express evil deeds performed by Ashoka, omit his killing of 99 of diadem brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka as apartment house evil person before his conversion come together Buddhism appear to be a manufacturing of the Buddhist authors,