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Predictive Modelling for Archaeological Sites: Ashokan Edicts from the Indian Subcontinent
GENERAL ARTICLES Predictive modelling for archaeological sites: Ashokan edicts from the Indian subcontinent Thomas W. Gillespie*, Monica L. Smith, Scott Barron, Kanika Kalra and Corey Rovzar This article focuses on the stone inscriptions ascribed to Ashoka, the 3rd century BC ruler of the Mauryan dynasty in ancient India. The locations of 29 known inscriptions and 8 environmental predictors at 1 km pixel resolution were entered into a species distribution model, that reliably pre- dicted the distribution of known Ashokan edicts (AUC score 0.934). Geologic substrate (33%), population density in AD 200 (21%), and slope (13%) explained majority of the variance in the Ashokan edict locations. We have identified 121 possible locations in the Indian subcontinent that conform to the same criteria where yet undiscovered inscriptions may be found. Keywords: Archaeology, edict locations, environmental metrics, species distribution models, stone inscriptions. TWO factors have combined that could increase the use of provide confirmation that people found the locations suit- modelling in archaeology: the availability of global land- able and worthy of investment. scape geographic information system (GIS) datasets, and The predictability of archaeological site location is the need to identify and protect sites in areas jeopardized by based on a variety of criteria, not all of which are imme- development and other human impacts. An important po- diately apparent. For example, our earliest ancestors hun- tential contributor to this process is species distribution dreds of thousands of years ago utilized caves as shelters modelling, which has been increasingly used across a va- prior to the development of built architecture, but not all riety of fields, including biogeography, ecology, conserva- known caves were occupied within a given region due to tion biology, and climate change science to identify metrics additional factors of selection, such as the preference for that define and predict species and ecosystems ranges1–4. -
Buddhapada and the Bodhisattva Path
Contents List of Figures 7 Foreword 9 Michael Zimmermann and Steffen Döll Introduction 11 1 Seeing the Footprint 15 1.1 Introduction 15 1.2 Translation 17 1.3 The Nature of an Awakened One 20 1.4 The Different Footprints 23 1.5 Problems with Marks on the Footprint 27 1.6 The Thousand Spokes 30 1.7 The Wheel 36 1.8 Summary 41 2 A Vision of the Thirty-two Marks 43 2.1 Introduction 43 2.2 Translation 44 2.3 The Webbed Feet and the Protuberance 51 2.4 The Buddha’s Footprints on the Stairs from Heaven 55 2.5 The Buddha’s General Appearance 57 2.6 The Significance of the Thirty-two Marks 61 2.7 The Thirty-two Marks as Brahminical Lore 63 2.8 Summary 68 3 The Great Lineage of Buddhas 71 3.1 Introduction 71 3.2 Translation 75 3.3 Visual Elements in the Description of Vipaśyin 84 3.4 The Marks and dharmatā 87 3.5 The Birth of a Buddha 89 3.6 Seeing the Marks as a Means of Conversion 94 3.7 Seeing the Marks as a Means of Healing 100 3.8 Summary 101 4 The Karma of the Wheel-mark 103 4.1 Introduction 103 4.2 Translation 105 4.3 Assessing the Lakkhaṇa-sutta 106 4.4 Introducing the Karmic Perspective 110 4.5 The Marks in Their Karmic Setting 113 4.6 Aspiring to Be Endowed with the Marks 122 4.7 The Marks and Masculinity 128 4.8 Summary 134 Conclusion 137 Abbreviations 141 References 143 Index 171 List of Figures Figure 1: Fragment Description of Footprint 24 Figure 2: Different Footprints 25 Figure 3: Footprints with Wheel 39 Figure 4: Worshipping the Buddha’s Footprints 40 Figure 5: Buddha with Webbed Hand 53 Figure 6: The Buddha’s Descent from Heaven 56 Figure 7: Footprints with svastikas 62 Figure 8: The Buddha and His Six Predecessors 73 Figure 9: Baby Footprints 86 Figure 10: Footprint with Birds 99 Figure 11: Footprint-Wheels with many Spokes 104 Figure 12: Lion Capital 116 Figure 13: Wheel-marks on the Feet of a Seated Buddha 127 Foreword About Hamburg Buddhist Studies Ever since the birth of Buddhist Studies in Germany more than 100 years ago, Buddhism has enjoyed a prominent place in the study of Asian reli- gions. -
Ashoka's Edicts & Inscriptions
AsHokA’s Edicts & inscriptions The great Emperor Ashoka, the third monarch of the Maurya dynasty converted to Buddhism after witnessing the horrific effects of war in Kalinga. He became a champion and patron of Buddhism and strove to spread Dhamma throughout his empire and beyond. He erected pillars and edicts all over the subcontinent and even in modern-day Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan to spread the Buddha’s word. The Edicts of Ashoka are in total 33 inscriptions written on the Pillars, boulders and cave walls of Mauryan Period, during the reign of the Emperor Ashok that are dispersed throughout the Indian Sub-continent covering India, Pakistan and Nepal. These inscriptions are divided into three broad sections – 1. Major Rock Edicts 2. Pillar Rock Edicts 3. Minor Rock Edicts These edicts have mentioned that Buddhism as a religion had reached as far as Mediterranean under the Ashokan reign. Many Buddhist monuments had been created in the wide-spread area. In these edicts, Buddhism and the Buddha are also mentioned. But primarily these edicts focus more on social and moral precepts rather than the religious practices (or the philosophical dimension) of Buddhism during Ashoka’s reign. A notable thing in these inscriptions is, that Ashoka refers to himself in many of these inscriptions as “Devampiyaa” which means “Beloved of the Gods” and “King Piyadassi.” Language used: The inscriptions found in the eastern parts of Mauryan empire are written using the Brahmi script in Magadhi language. While in the western parts of the empire, the script used is Kharoshti, written in Prakrit. -
Early Architecture and Its Transformations: New Evidence For
E EARLY ARCHITECTURE AND ITS ARLY A TRANSFORMATIONS: NEW EVIDENCE FOR RCHITECTURE VENACULAR ORIGINS FOR THE INDIAN TEMPLE Michael W Meister A ND I TS T SITE RANSFOR The recently excavated Buddhist stūpa at Kanganhalli, Karnataka (Archaeological Survey of India 2000, 2002, 2004), provides, among many important narrative panels from the first centuries BC and M ATIONS AD, unique visual evidence for forms of early built architecture in South Asia.1 Within the visual idiom of Kanganhalli, what you see is what was built, unmediated by the iconic transformation of later : N E stone representations and replications that move away in significant ways from the early impermanent W E architecture of India. Ajay Shankar, then Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), VIDENCE gave an important introductory report on the site and its sculptures at the 15th International Conference 2 of the European Association of South Asian Archaeologists in Leiden in 1999. It is important now to F illustrate the depth of evidence for early architecture that this new material provides.3 OR V The excavations at this significant Buddhist centre are located on the left bank of the river Bhima, ENACULAR 5 km northeast of Sannati in Gulbarga District, Karnataka.4 Remains span ‘both Hinayana and Mahayana phases of Buddhism’, according to the ASI (no date),5 and these excavations O have revealed remains of a stūpa measuring 19 m in diameter with preserved lower and RIGINS upper drum up to a height of 3.1 m. The sculptural embellishments of the stūpa show close F affinity with art traditions of Bharhut and Sanchi in Central India in the earlier Hinayana OR T stage, and Amaravati and the Deccan school in the later Mahayana stage. -
Ashoka and His Dhamma
Ashoka’s Dhamma Sanjay Sharma After the war of Kalinga, the course of history changed and this was brought about by Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism. According to Kalhana, he was a Shaiva before converting to Buddhism. Dr. B. N. Mukherjee, on the basis of his studies of Greek and Aramaic inscriptions has given the following chronology of events from the war of Kalinga. • Ashoka waged war in Kalinga in the eighth year of his reign. • He became a lay disciple of Buddhism in the early ninth year • Proclaimed the doctrine of Dhamma in the tenth year. • Visited Sambodhi and started Dhammayata (Dharmayatra) in the same year. • Issued first of his Dhammalipi in the twelfth year. These dates are scaled to the year of his consecration. Ashoka adhered to the polivy of tolerance towards all belief systems. Even after changing religion he preferred to call himself Devanampiya, i.e., beloved of the gods. He also dedicated Barabar caves to the monks of Ajivika sect. His opposition to killing of animals for samajas (festive gatherings) or for sacrifices cannot be seen as an opposition to Brahmanism or varnashramadharma. Let us now make a survey of the important aspects of Dhamma through the study of prescripts: 1. Earliest Signals of Dhammalipi are seen in the Minor Rock Edict I and II (MRE I and II). 2. The core of Ashoka’s Dhamma is enshrined in the first and the second Minor Rock Edict. Minor Rock Edicts refer to some important points. (a) Gujarra version of MRE-I mentions that ‘both rich and poor should be encouraged to practise Dhamma’. -
The Locational Geography of Ashokan Inscriptions in the Indian Subcontinent
Antiquity http://journals.cambridge.org/AQY Additional services for Antiquity: Email alerts: Click here Subscriptions: Click here Commercial reprints: Click here Terms of use : Click here Finding history: the locational geography of Ashokan inscriptions in the Indian subcontinent Monica L. Smith, Thomas W. Gillespie, Scott Barron and Kanika Kalra Antiquity / Volume 90 / Issue 350 / April 2016, pp 376 - 392 DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2016.6, Published online: 06 April 2016 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0003598X16000065 How to cite this article: Monica L. Smith, Thomas W. Gillespie, Scott Barron and Kanika Kalra (2016). Finding history: the locational geography of Ashokan inscriptions in the Indian subcontinent. Antiquity, 90, pp 376-392 doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.6 Request Permissions : Click here Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/AQY, IP address: 128.97.195.154 on 07 Apr 2016 Finding history: the locational geography of Ashokan inscriptions in the Indian subcontinent Monica L. Smith1, Thomas W. Gillespie2, Scott Barron2 & Kanika Kalra3 The Mauryan dynasty of the third century BC was the first to unite the greater part of the Indian subcontinent under a single ruler, yet its demographic geography remains largely uncertain. Here, the HYDE 3.1 database of past population and land-use is used to offer insights into key aspects of Mauryan political geography through the locational analysis of the Ashokan edicts, which are the first stone inscriptions known from the subcontinent and which constitute the first durable statement of Buddhist-inspired beliefs. The known distribution of rock and pillar edicts across the subcontinent can be combined with HYDE 3.1 to generate predictive models for the location of undiscovered examples and to investigate the relationship between political economy and religious activities in an early state. -
Ashokan Inscriptions Occupy a Very Significant
04* 9? 86* rt T" •\ / Y. THEASHOKANli'" - ' -- Ss ■INSGRIBJIONS^ 1 * ■ »• • ■ I V* | * SHAHBA2GARHI IMANSEH J- - I KANDAHAR iC y KALSI 'TOPRA * ^ MEtRUi ■1NT- j •i. •: •. BAHAPUR '"^.iRAM PQR WA^'^'* rV" V/ •"•">' ALIS AR / < ,1. .. ' .*v- BAIRAT RU DEI LAURIY/^# . - ,«* J L. BHABRU NANDkrBA-NGARtH •LAURiYA ARAFWtr--r. ... .. / ; V UJ^RRA#-. • X rV"' * T' .« KAUSHAMpiA^A^ .r 9 * .yi.v' **'»' SAH/^RANl • , • ; AHRAURA#. .-4 .:KO •r »r* a rI OJJAYINI # SANCHI M I r Isr AGIRNAR (TV# : MYANMA SOPARA ARABIAN . •SHIStltlPALGARH ^ SEA '■ jaugadaV asannati *• KALI NG Ay BAY OF BENGAL . RAJULA : MANDAGIRI . : MASKI G AVI MATH UDEGOLAM PALK1GUNDU ■i NITTUR BRAHMAGIRI p™ UR JATINGA ? RAMESHWAR REFERENCES • « r ~ « £ % y. CHOLA A MAJOR ROCK EDICTS <A 8 V -J- . AN DAM A. ♦ _/{ SEA m. ■ MINOR ROCK EDICTS • PILLAR INSCRIPTIONS -u N D N O C E A -X- -l- Scanned with CamScanner .. ^ V V" /Vsliokau Inscriptions Ashokan inscriptions occupy a very significant place in the history of India. They ai;c very helpful in reconstructing the history of the Mauryan period. Undoubtedly, Ashoka was the first ruler in the history of India who spoke directly to his people through Scanned with CamScanner his inscriptions and got engraved his5 eddicts on stones. These inscriptions have been found on stones, polished stone pillars and the walls of the caves.. The inscriptions on rocks are called Rock Edicts and those, on pillars pillar Edicts. The inscriptions ■ of Ashoka have been found in India, Nepal, Pakistan ■ aiid Afghanistan. V T ■ v ; . The Ashokan inscriptions can be divided in the following categories; 1. The Rock Edicts Of Ashokan Rock Edicts the fourteen Rock Edicts are the most important. -
KANAGANAHALLI in SATAVAHANA ART and BUDDHISM: KING ASOKA in FRONT of Tiffibodhi TREE
KANAGANAHALLI IN SATAVAHANA ART AND BUDDHISM: KING ASOKA IN FRONT OF TiffiBODHI TREE MONIKA ZIN The uniformly-shaped slabs discovered at Kanaganahalli, each measuring approximately 3 meters high, were once located on the stilpa dome (fig. 1). When the monument was unearthed, the lower parts of some of these slabs were discovered in situ, affixed above the drum and held in position by the "collar stones." The slabs are composed of two panels, one above the other, separated by a frieze of geese. A railing is depicted below the panels, and the coping stones of this railing bear inscriptions which label the nar rative contents of the representations located on the panels. My study, The Kanaganahalli Stupa: An Analysis of the 60 Massive Slabs Covering the Dome, presents a reconstruction of the original sequence of the slabs on the monument. 1 Establishing the order of the slabs was a painstaking task. The photographs taken during the excavations, providing documentation of the exact locations where each slab was discovered, did not include all of the slabs, and I did not have access to other documentary material that might have been more complete. The restoration of the reliefs was carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). This was an enormous undertaking, and an achievement which cannot be valued highly enough. In order to accomplish this project, however, the reliefs were laid out on the ground near the stupa, in an area with enough space to permit the res toration work to be done. The slabs therefore ended up at a considerable distance from the locations in which they were originally discovered. -
Ashokan-Inscriptions
Ashoka Inscription (The Edicts of Ashoka) [NCERT Notes - Ancient Indian History Notes For UPSC] The great Emperor Ashoka, the third monarch of the Maurya dynasty converted to Buddhism after witnessing the horrific effects of war in Kalinga. He became a champion and patron of Buddhism and strove to spread Dhamma throughout his empire and beyond. He erected pillars and edicts all over the subcontinent and even in modern-day Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan to spread the Buddha’s word. Ashokan Inscriptions (Rock Edicts) James Prinsep, a British antiquary and colonial administrator was the first person to decipher Ashoka’s edicts. These Ashoka's inscriptions are the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. They were kept in public places and along trade routes so that the maximum number of people would read them. More than religious discourses, they talk about the moral duties of the people, how to conduct life, Ashoka’s desire to be a good and benevolent ruler, and Ashoka’s work towards this end. There are 33 inscriptions in total and primarily classified into the following: 1. Major rock edicts 2. Minor rock edicts 3. Separate rock edicts 4. Major pillar edicts 5. Minor pillar edicts • In the earlier half of his reign, the edicts were inscribed on conveniently located rock surfaces and were distributed in the areas of public settlement, where people could easily read them and are referred to as major and minor rock edicts. • In the later part of his reign, the inscriptions were on well-polished monolithic pillars (from the sites of Chunar, near Varanasi), each edict surmounted with a finely sculpted animal capital involving great technological expertise in cutting and engraving and were mainly confined to the Ganges plain. -
A Study on Ashoka's Inscriptions with Special Reference to Karnataka
© 2018 JETIR October 2018, Volume 5, Issue 10 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) A study on Ashoka’s Inscriptions with special reference to Karnataka Dr. B.Suresha Associate Professor Of History Govt.Arts College (Autonomous), Chitradurga, Karnataka– 577501 Abstract: Ashoka was the most famous king in the Ancient India. No figure in Ancient Indian history is so familiar to us and no one leaves such an impression of a great personality as Ashoka. This is because he was the first monarch to declare war as an evil.He was the third ruler of the Maurya Dynasty. He lived from 302 to 232 BCE . He was the rulerwho tried to take his massage to the people through Inscriptions. Key Words: Ashoka, Ancient Indian history, Inscriptions, kalinga Buddhist, Bramhagiri Gavimath Jattingarameshwara, Maski Nittur, Palkigundu. Siddapura, Karnataka Ashoka was the most famous king in the Ancient India. No figure in Ancient Indian history is so familiar to us and no one leaves such an impression of a great personality as Ashoka. This is because he was the first monarch to declare war as an evil.He was the third ruler of the Maurya Dynasty. He lived from 302 to 232 BCE . He was the rulerwho tried to take his massage to the people through Inscriptions. He issued number of inscriptions for the first time. Thus, he was called as ‘ The father of Inscriptions’. He struggled hard for the welfare of the people. Bramhagiri Edit ofAshoka, atBramhagiri, Molakalmuru-Tq, Chitradurga-Dist. Ashokan edicts do not tell us anything about his early life. According to Buddhist texts, he was the grandson of the Chandragupta Maurya, founder emperor of the Maurya dynasty. -
Female Patrons of Early Buddhism in Ancient India: an Epigraphical Analysis
Journal of Historical Archaeology & Anthropological Sciences Research Article Open Access Female patrons of early buddhism in ancient india: an epigraphical analysis Abstract Volume 1 Issue 4 - 2017 According to the 2001 census, India, the land of the Buddha is home to 3,881,052 1 Rupali Mokashi female Buddhist devotees. There are an estimated 300 million Buddhist women Associate Professor, Department of History, University of worldwide, including more than 130,000 nuns. This growing community stands Mumbai, India proudly on the shoulders of the lay women devotees and nuns who have been an integral part of the Sangha, almost since its inception. However, apart from the heart- Correspondence: Rupali Mokashi, Associate Professor, rendering stories narrated in the Therigatha,1 in which the early bhikkhuni recount their Department of History, University of Mumbai, India; struggles and accomplishments along the road to arahatship, no historical evidence has Email [email protected] yet been given due significance. As a result, the record of early Buddhist women’s contributions rests entirely with the literary characters of the Therigatha. Received: May 18, 2017 | Published: July 03, 2017 Keywords: alzheimer’s disease, cognitive functions, lexical-semantic level Introduction few. The need for a place of worship and the residential requirements of the monks and the nuns led to their speedy growth. Inscriptions tell The role of ancient Indian Buddhist women in espousing its us that these architectural attainments partially owed their existence to eternal traditions is mostly determined by analyzing the famous endowments made by women who belonged to different social groups. female protagonists depicted in literary works or the norms laid It can be observed that queens, laywomen, nuns and even courtesans down in scripture, thus neglecting “real” women. -
The Mauryan Age(322BC-184BC)
Magadh Mahila college, Patna University Department of History Bhawana singh (Guest Faculty) Email id- [email protected] Mobile Number-7909027756 Unit -5 , B.A. 1st year The Mauryan Age(322BC-184BC) The establishment of Mauryan empire was a turning point in the history of Indian territory. The control of this massive empire continued for over a long period of almost 140years over of large part of northern India. After the overthrow of the Nanda Dynasty at Magadh the Mauryas came to prominence. The empire came into being when Chandragupta Maurya stepped into the vaccum created by the departure of Alexander of Macedonia from the western borders of India. In his rise to power, he was aided and counseled by his chief minister Kautilya, who wrote the Arthashastra, a compendium of kingship and governance. Sources of Mauryan Empire: The history of their rule is rendered comparatively reliable on account of evidence obtained from a variety of sources. There are three types of sources available about the Mauryan Empire. Literary Source: Brahmanical Literature: 1. Arthashastra of Kutilya/Chanakya/Vishnugupta; It is a detailed work on statecraft. Kautilya‟s work consist of 15 volumes(Adhikarnas). The first five deals with internal administration (tantra), the next eight with inter-state relations (avapa), and the last two with miscellaneous topics. 2. Indica of Megasthense: This book was based on his travels and experience in India. The book has not survived but fragments are preserved in later Greek and Latin works, the earliest and most important of which are those of Diodorus, Strabo, Arrian, Pliny. 3.