DOCSLIB.ORG

Ashoka the Great

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ashoka the Great Ashoka the Great Born: 304 B.C.E Died: 232 B.C.E Reign: 268- 232 B.C.E Background: Ashoka’s story starts with his grandfather Chandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire who conquered the Nanda Empire and founded the Mauryan Empire with the capital being in Patilaputra. He also took back the parts of Northwest India that had been conquered by Alexander the Great. His new Empire stretched from Afghanistan to Bangladesh and down to central India. However, toward the end of his life he abdicated the throne in favor of his son Bindusara. Bindusara was a hard expansionist who rapidly pushed into Southern India. Ashoka’s exact birthday is disputed but he according to ancient sources he was born sometime around 304 B.C.E. Ashoka’s half-brother, Sushima, was the oldest and completely incompetent. So, Bindusara got 500 ministers to support Ashoka became King. When Ashoka became Emperor the first thing, he did was to cement his control. So, he killed all his brothers to avoid civil war. Expansion: By the time Ashoka came to power, the Mauryan Empire stretched from Bangladesh to Afghanistan to Southern India. But there was a small Kingdom called Kalinga which is the modern Indian state of Odisha that was becoming a nuisance. Ashoka marshalled his forces and attacked. The Kalinga Royal Army was decimated and the Mauryan army achieved a swift and brutal victory. It is here where the famous story of Ashoka, when he was walking through the village that had been destroyed by the onslaught of Ashoka’s army and saw a boy that had been killed by six arrows. Pillars, Edicts, Buddhism and a Golden Age After witnessing the violence and horrors of war, Ashoka began to look for new answers and he found them in the new faith of Buddhism. He did this out of the pure remorse that he felt because of the bloodshed he saw in Kalinga. This was also the time where he ushered in a golden age for scientific and mathematical advancements. For example, under Ashoka, scholars had developed units of measurements for different purposes such as for building moats, houses, business and weight. Then we have the Pillars and the edicts written on them. The pillars themselves are constructed from 2 different types of stone put together by master craftsmen. The pillars had a lotus and a lion on top. The lotus represents Buddhism itself and the Lion represents Shakya, the Lion clan in which Siddhartha Gautama was born into. Each pillar also has an edict engraved into them which infuse the concepts of Hinduism and Buddhism such as Dharma, the concept that each person has a duty to fulfil, Karma, the idea that the universe rewards good and punishes evil and the concept of Samsara, which means that rebirth is a painful idea that is caused by desire. According to this article on Khan Academy, it states " The edicts, through their strategic placement and couched in the Buddhist dharma, serve to underscore Ashoka’s administrative role and as a tolerant leader". Finally, after a 36-year reign, Ashoka died. After Ashoka’s death, Buddhism declined in India largely thanks to Hinduism being a flexible religion which managed to envelop Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu. Legacy: Ashoka’s legacy has been fused with the history of Buddhism because of his conversion. He is also remembered for being a visionary who envisioned a unified Indian subcontinent and was the first to pioneer a pan-Indian empire that stretched from Iran and Afghanistan in the West to Bangladesh in the East and from the Himalayas in the north to the jungles in Southern India. However, after Ashoka died, his successor could not maintain the Empire and it soon collapsed due to different warring factions and it would take the Gupta Empire to recreate what the Mauryans had. Khan Academy Article: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/south- asia/x97ec695a:art-magadha/a/the-pillars-of-ashoka .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Emergence of the Mahajanapadas
    The Emergence of the Mahajanapadas Sanjay Sharma Introduction In the post-Vedic period, the centre of activity shifted from the upper Ganga valley or madhyadesha to middle and lower Ganga valleys known in the contemporary Buddhist texts as majjhimadesha. Painted grey ware pottery gave way to a richer and shinier northern black polished ware which signified new trends in commercial activities and rising levels of prosperity. Imprtant features of the period between c. 600 and 321 BC include, inter-alia, rise of ‘heterodox belief systems’ resulting in an intellectual revolution, expansion of trade and commerce leading to the emergence of urban life mainly in the region of Ganga valley and evolution of vast territorial states called the mahajanapadas from the smaller ones of the later Vedic period which, as we have seen, were known as the janapadas. Increased surplus production resulted in the expansion of trading activities on one hand and an increase in the amount of taxes for the ruler on the other. The latter helped in the evolution of large territorial states and increased commercial activity facilitated the growth of cities and towns along with the evolution of money economy. The ruling and the priestly elites cornered most of the agricultural surplus produced by the vaishyas and the shudras (as labourers). The varna system became more consolidated and perpetual. It was in this background that the two great belief systems, Jainism and Buddhism, emerged. They posed serious challenge to the Brahmanical socio-religious philosophy. These belief systems had a primary aim to liberate the lower classes from the fetters of orthodox Brahmanism.
    [Show full text]
  • Lumbini: the Birthplace of Lord Buddha in Nepal, Completing The
    LUMBINI The birthplace of Lord Buddha in Nepal. Completing the Kenzo Tange Master Plan Prepared by UNESCO with support from UNDP Content Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 About Lumbini ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 History --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 UNESCO World Heritage property ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Lumbini today ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Visitors --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Chronology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 UN Secretaries-General in Lumbini ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 Lumbini, the centre of a unique cultural landscape -------------------------------------------------------- 12 Major Buddhist sites in the Greater Lumbini Area ----------------------------------------------------------- 13 Socio-economic data of the Greater
    [Show full text]
  • ART XVI.—On the Identity of Xandrames and Krananda
    447 ART XVI.—On the Identity of Xandrames and Krananda. By EDWARD THOMAS, ESQ. AT the meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society, on the 21st Nov., 1864,1 undertook the task of establishing the identity of the Xandrames of Diodorus Siculus and Quintus Curtius, the undesignated king of the Gangetic provinces of other Classic Authors—with the potentate whose name appears on a very extensive series of local mintages under the bilingual Bactrian and Indo-Pali form of Krananda. With the very open array of optional readings of the name afforded by the Greek, Latin, Arabic, or Persian tran- scriptions, I need scarcely enter upon any vindication for con- centrating the whole cifcle of misnomers in the doubly autho- ritative version the coins have perpetuated: my endeavours will be confined to sustaining the reasonable probability of the contemporaneous existence of Alexander the Great and the Indian Krananda; to exemplifying the singularly appro- priate geographical currency and abundance of the coins themselves; and lastly to recapitulating the curious evidences bearing upon Krananda's individuality, supplied by indi- genous annals, and their strange coincidence with the legends preserved by the conterminous Persian epic and prose writers, occasionally reproduced by Arab translators, who, however, eventually sought more accurate knowledge from purely Indian sources. In the course of this inquiry, I shall be in a position to show, that Krananda was the prominent representative of the regnant fraternity of the " nine Nandas," and his coins, in their symbolic devices, will demonstrate for us, what no written history, home or foreign, has as yet explicitly de- clared, that the Nandas were Buddhists.
    [Show full text]
  • Iasbaba's 60 Days Plan – Day 35 (History)
    IASbaba’s 60 Days Plan – Day 35 (History) 2018 Q.1) Consider the following pairs. Sculpture Material made from 1. Mother goddess Stone 2. Bearded priest Terracotta 3. Dancing girl Copper Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? a) 1 and 3 only b) 3 only c) All the above d) None Q.1) Solution (d) Terracotta: Terracotta figures are more realistic in Gujarat sites and Kalibangan. Toy carts with wheels, whistles, rattles, bird and animals, gamesmen, and discs were also rendered in terracotta. The most important terracotta figures are those represent Mother Goddess. Stone Statues: Stone statues found in Indus valley sites are excellent examples of handling the 3D volume. Two major stone statues are: Bearded Man (Priest Man, Priest-King) and Male Torso Bronze Casting: Bronze casting was practiced in wide scale in almost all major sites of the civilization. The technique used for Bronze Casting was Lost Wax Technique. Dancing girl and bull from Mohenjo-Daro. Do you know? Thousands of seals were discovered from the sites, usually made of steatite, and occasionally of agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta, with beautiful figures of animals such as unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, buffalo, etc. Some seals were also been found in Gold and Ivory. THINK! 1 IASbaba’s 60 Days Plan – Day 35 (History) 2018 Harappan pottery. Q.2) Arrange the following parts of stupa from top to bottom. 1. Yasti 2. Harmika 3. Chatras 4. Anda Select the correct answer using the codes given below. a) 3-1-2-4 b) 3-2-1-4 c) 2-3-1-4 d) 2-1-3-4 Q.2) Solution (a) Stupa dome is called as Anda.
    [Show full text]
  • Depiction of Asoka Raja in the Buddhist Art of Gandhara
    Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan Volume No. 54, Issue No. 2 (July - December, 2017) Mahmood-ul-Hasan * DEPICTION OF ASOKA RAJA IN THE BUDDHIST ART OF GANDHARA Abstract Asoka was the grandson of the Chndragupta Maurya, founder of one of the greatest empires of the ancient India (321-297 BC). The empire won by Chandragupta had passed to his son Bindusara, after his death, it was again transmitted to his son Asoka. During early years of his kingship he was a very harsh ruler. But after witnessing the miseries and suffering of people during the Kalinga War (260 BCE.) Ashoka converted to Buddhism and decided to substitute the reign of the peace and tranquility for that of violence. Due to his acts of piety and love for the Buddhist faith he become the most popular and personality after Buddha for the Buddhists. Many legends associated with him i.e. “a handful dust”, “redistribution of Relics”, “ his visit of underwater stupa at Ramagrama” are depicted in Gandhara Art. In the present article an effort has been made to identify and analyze the legends of Ashoka in the light of their historical background. Keywords: Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara, Ashoka, Kalanga war, Buddhism. Introduction The Buddhist Art of Gandhara came in to being in the last century before the Christian era, when the Sakas were ruling in the North-West (Marshall, 1973:17) and further developed during the Parthian period (1st century A.D.). Like the Sakas, the Parthians were confirmed philhellenes and proud of their Hellenistic culture, and not only had they large numbers of Greek subjects in their empire but they were in a position to maintain close commercial contacts with the Mediterranean coasts (Ibid: 6).
    [Show full text]
  • Rise of the Buddha Gautama's Enlightenment
    Name ________________________ Pd _____ Rise of the Buddha Gautama’s Enlightenment Instructions: Read the following passage and answer the questions below. Siddhartha Gautama Learns a Lesson – From a young age, the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama lived a decadent, opulent life in the Shakya palace. Early in his life, a prophet testified to his father that Gautama would either become a fierce king and military man or else he would become a spiritual leader. To steer his son towards the monarchy, Gautama’s father forbade him from leaving the luxurious palace. This would prevent him from learning of the world’s suffering and trials. For many years he lived in seclusion until one day, he decided to venture out in a chariot to see the kingdom. He would soon be overcome by four sights he had never beholden before – a very old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an “ascetic,” or a meditating monk. He was so moved by these sights that Gautama decided to renounce his life of riches and become a monk. His goal was to seek enlightenment, or perfect harmony and peace within. He called this ideal state of mind Nirvana. In his new life as a monk, Gautama studied, meditated, and fasted in pursuit of enlightenment, refusing food and water for many days. As he meditated further under a Bodhi tree, Gautama faced down an evil demon named Mara, who tried to overtake him. However, after banishing the spirit, for the first time he reached true Enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama had now become Gautama Buddha, or the Enlightened One.
    [Show full text]
  • National Emblem - Interesting Facts to Know for IAS Exam
    National Emblem - Interesting Facts to Know for IAS Exam National Emblem of India is a representative seal of Republic of India that is based on Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar (based in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh.) The motto of Indian National Emblem is ‘Satyamev Jayate’ or ‘Truth Alone Triumphs.’ it makes one of the ​National Symbols of India.​ Though the questions from this topic may not directly be asked in ​IAS Exam​ the important facts about the National Emblem can help aspirants in Mains exam and Essay. What is an Emblem? An emblem by description is “a heraldic instrument or symbolic object as a unique insignia of a nation, organization, or family”. The National Emblem of a nation is a seal that is earmarked for official purposes and orders the highest admiration and loyalty. For a nation, it is a symbol of power and signifies the foundation of its constitutional values. The Indian National Emblem was accepted on 26 January 1950 by Madhav Sawhney. According to rules, the National Emblem of India can only be used as per provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act-2005 and any unauthorized use is punishable under law. This article is about the National Emblem of India – historical background, rules related to the emblem, meaning of the symbols engraved in it. This topic is important for various ​government exams​ in the Prelims section. 14 Facts about National Emblem of India for UPSC A list of 14 facts about Indian National Emblem is provided below: 1. The Ashoka pillar, erected by ​Emperor Ashoka​, has four lions seated back to back which imply power, courage, confidence and pride.
    [Show full text]
  • Module 1A: Uttar Pradesh History
    Module 1a: Uttar Pradesh History Uttar Pradesh State Information India.. The Gangetic Plain occupies three quarters of the state. The entire Capital : Lucknow state, except for the northern region, has a tropical monsoon climate. In the Districts :70 plains, January temperatures range from 12.5°C-17.5°C and May records Languages: Hindi, Urdu, English 27.5°-32.5°C, with a maximum of 45°C. Rainfall varies from 1,000-2,000 mm in Introduction to Uttar Pradesh the east to 600-1,000 mm in the west. Uttar Pradesh has multicultural, multiracial, fabulous wealth of nature- Brief History of Uttar Pradesh hills, valleys, rivers, forests, and vast plains. Viewed as the largest tourist The epics of Hinduism, the Ramayana destination in India, Uttar Pradesh and the Mahabharata, were written in boasts of 35 million domestic tourists. Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh also had More than half of the foreign tourists, the glory of being home to Lord Buddha. who visit India every year, make it a It has now been established that point to visit this state of Taj and Ganga. Gautama Buddha spent most of his life Agra itself receives around one million in eastern Uttar Pradesh, wandering foreign tourists a year coupled with from place to place preaching his around twenty million domestic tourists. sermons. The empire of Chandra Gupta Uttar Pradesh is studded with places of Maurya extended nearly over the whole tourist attractions across a wide of Uttar Pradesh. Edicts of this period spectrum of interest to people of diverse have been found at Allahabad and interests.
    [Show full text]
  • Unit Magadhan Territorial Expansion
    Get Printed Study Notes for UPSC Exams - www.iasexamportal.com/notes UNIT MAGADHAN TERRITORIAL EXPANSION Structure 18.0 Objectives 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Location of Magadha 18.3 Note on Sources 18.4 Political History of Pre-Mauryan Magadha 18.5 Notion of 'Empire' 18.5.1 Modern views on definition of 'Empire' 18.5.2 Indian notion of ~hakravarti-~setra 18.6 Origin of Mauryan rule 18.7 Asoka Maurya 18.7.1 The Kalinga War 18.7.;' Magadha at Asoka's death 18.8 Let US Sum Up 18.9 Key Words 18.10 Answers To Check Your Progress Exercises 18.0 OBJECTIVES In this Unit we shall outline the territorial expansion of the kingdom of Magadha. This will provide an understanding of how and why it was possible for Magadha to ,. becolne an 'empire'. After reading this Unit you should be able to: 0. identify the location of Magadha and its environs and note its strategic importance. learn about some of the sources that historians use for writing on this period, have a brief idea of the political history of Magadha during the two centuries preceding Mauryan rule. underst d the notion of 'empire' in the context of early periods of history, trac/;I the chief events leading to the establishment of Mauryan rule, learn about the early Mauryan kings - Chandragupta and Bindusara - and their expansionist activities, explain the context of the accession and coronation of Asoka Maurya and the importance of the Kalinga War, and finally, identify the boundaries of the Magadhan 'empire' at the death of Ashoka.
    [Show full text]
  • 1. Chandragupta Maurya: 2. King Bindusara – Bindusara: 3. Samrat Ashoka – Emperor Ashoka
    3/5/2021 Top 10 Maurya Empire rulers who changed the history 1. Chandragupta Maurya: Chandragupta Maurya (Raj: 323-298 BC) was the first founder of the Maurya Empire in ancient India. They succeeded in bringing entire India under one empire. The date of the throne of Chandragupta Maurya is generally considered to be 324 BC, he ruled for approximately 25 years and thus the end of his rule was usually done in 297 BC. Later in 297 his son Bindusara took over his empire. The Maurya Empire is considered to be one of the most powerful empires in history. At the end of his empire, Chandragupta had success in governing all the Indian subcontinent excepting Tamil Nadu and present Odisha. His empire was spread from Bengal to Afghanistan and Balochistan and from west to Pakistan in the Himalayas and the northern part of Kashmir. As well as expanding to Platau in the south. In Indian history, the reign of Chandragupta Maurya is considered the largest rule. Further reading: The complete history of Chandragupta Maurya – Chandragupta Maurya history 2. King Bindusara – Bindusara: Many Indians know that Chandragupta Maurya was the first ruler of the Maurya Empire in Indian history. While Bindusara – Bindusara was the son of the next Maurya ruler and Chandragupta Maurya. In history, the famous ruler Emperor Asoka was the son of Bindusara. He ruled for almost 25 years. Bindusara attained the state of a great state in the estate. He also extended the state to South India. Chanakya also remained prime minister in his time. Bindusara is known as ‘father of son and son of son’ because he was the son of Chandragupta Maurya, famous and mighty ruler and father of the great King Ashoka.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Career and Different Achievements of Asoka
    International Journal of Research in Social Sciences Vol. 7 Issue 9, September 2017, ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081 Journal Homepage: http://www.ijmra.us, Email: [email protected] Double-Blind Peer Reviewed Refereed Open Access International Journal - Included in the International Serial Directories Indexed & Listed at: Ulrich's Periodicals Directory ©, U.S.A., Open J-Gage as well as in Cabell’s Directories of Publishing Opportunities, U.S.A Early career and different achievements of Asoka Manoj Malakar* Abstract Asoka was the greatest emperor in Mauriyan dynesty. He was a great patronage of Buddhism and art and architecture. This paper tries to high light about the early life and career of the great Mauryan emperor Asoka. There was lot of great emperor in Indian history, who wrote their name in golden letter in history and Asoka also one of among these rulers. Some different prominent writer had analysis about Asoka’s life and career. This paper tries to analyses how he (Asoka) began his career and got achievements during his region. This paper also tries to highlight Asoka’s Dhamma and his patronage of art and architecture during his region. This paper also tries to discuss Asoka’s patronage of Buddhism. He sent his own son and girl to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism. Keywords: Career, Buddha Dhamma, Art and Architecture, Inscription. * Assistant Teacher & Faculty K.K.H.S.O.U. (Malaybari junior college study centre). 624 International Journal of Research in Social Sciences http://www.ijmra.us, Email: [email protected] ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081 Introduction Asoka was one of the greatest kings of India.
    [Show full text]
  • Unit Magadhan Territorial Expansion
    UNIT MAGADHAN TERRITORIAL EXPANSION Structure 18.0 Objectives 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Location of Magadha 18.3 Note on Sources 18.4 Political History of Pre-Mauryan Magadha 18.5 Notion of 'Empire' 18.5.1 Modern views on definition of 'Empire' 18.5.2 Indian notion of ~hakravarti-~setra 18.6 Origin of Mauryan rule 18.7 Asoka Maurya 18.7.1 The Kalinga War 18.7.;' Magadha at Asoka's death 18.8 Let US Sum Up 18.9 Key Words 18.10 Answers To Check Your Progress Exercises 18.0 OBJECTIVES In this Unit we shall outline the territorial expansion of the kingdom of Magadha. This will provide an understanding of how and why it was possible for Magadha to ,. becolne an 'empire'. After reading this Unit you should be able to: 0. identify the location of Magadha and its environs and note its strategic importance. learn about some of the sources that historians use for writing on this period, have a brief idea of the political history of Magadha during the two centuries preceding Mauryan rule. underst d the notion of 'empire' in the context of early periods of history, trac/;I the chief events leading to the establishment of Mauryan rule, learn about the early Mauryan kings - Chandragupta and Bindusara - and their expansionist activities, explain the context of the accession and coronation of Asoka Maurya and the importance of the Kalinga War, and finally, identify the boundaries of the Magadhan 'empire' at the death of Ashoka. 18.1 INTRODUCTION In Unit 15 you were introduced to the various Janapadas and Mahajanapadas that are known to us from primarily early Buddhist and Jaina texts.
    [Show full text]