The Dhamma of Ashoka

The dhamma of Ashoka was a code of moral conduct that he encouraged if not enforced

during his rule of the Mauryan Empire. The word dhamma literally means doctrine, or teaching

(it is derived from the Sanskrit word dharma). The dhamma is referred to by the Buddhist

community as the doctrine that was delineated by the Buddha over his forty years of teaching.

Two years into his reign, after the bloody conquest of Kalinga, Ashoka embraced the peaceful

religion of Buddhism, becoming a layman. Ashoka did not seek to implement Buddhism as the

religion of state, but rather to create a culture of peace, cooperation, and responsibility within the

Mauryan kingdom. In fact, Ashoka never mentioned any of the Buddhist doctrines in the edicts

which he posted along travel routes throughout the vast kingdom (which at the time of his reign

in the mid-second century B.C.E. consisted of the greater portion of the Indian subcontinent).

But Ashoka certainly derived the idea of a dhamma form Buddhist thought. Ashika’s edicts seem

to cover all parts of citizen’s daily lives, although their prescriptive nature may not necessarily

have entailed strict adherence.

The main purpose of the dhamma must have been to unify the empire. This concept

makes sense taking into account the sheer vastness of the empire. It is important to note that the

citizens of Mauryan Empire were not homogeneous. They were extremely diverse, and not all at

the same levels of cultural or technological development. Segments of the population were still

hunter-gatherers, many were farmers, and others such as the vaishyas worked in commerce. The

dhamma of Ashoka was meant to bring these people together even if it meant in opposition to his

policies. Ashoka’s edicts mandated toleration by prohibiting the expression of dissent to any

view held by another person. On occasion, the people would be afforded the opportunity to

openly criticize his policies. It is clear that while they could not dissent amongst themselves, they
could join together in solidarity against the established order. But it is unlikely that any real

challenge to Ashoka’s authority would arise due to the immense standing army he had at his

disposal, not to mention the network of mahamatras and spies, as well as the threat of

punishment.

Ashoka believed that the dhamma could create a society that embraced the basic tenets if

Buddhism without the bugbear of “state-mandated” Buddhism. Ashoka was a convert to

Buddhism himself, but he did not desire a Buddhist state, which would have been difficult and

costly to enforce. Within the capital of Pataliputra, the killing of animals was staunchly

regulated, and animal sacrifice was banned (Embree 144). This is an example of a more isolated

situation over which Ashoka had more control. But he did not turn the city into a monastery. For

example, although Ashoka observed vegetarianism, he did not completely prohibit the killing of

animals within the city. For example, the first rock edict says that, “Formerly in the Beloved of

the God’s kitchen several hundred thousand animals were killed daily for food; but now at the

time of the writing only three are killed—two peacocks and a deer…” (Embree, 144).

There is also a sense of personal duty for Ashoka himself. He was deeply concerned for

the welfare of the people within the kingdom, and even the entire world as he mentioned in his

sixth rock edict (Embree, 145). He spent large sums of money to support various religions

including the Vedic Brahmins, the Buddhists, and the Ajivikas. Not only does his assistance of

different religions reflect his belief in tolerance, but also Buddhist principle of assisting others to

live comfortably. This principle is further illustrated in the giving of land to the shudras for

farming. It appears that Ashoka saw his path to salvation or a better rebirth in extending his arm

to help the rest of his society to lead comfortable lives. That is to say, he saw improving the lives
of others as both his civic responsibility as emperor, and his moral obligation as a Buddhist

layman.

Ashoka was also committed to justice. In his edicts he makes it clear that his officers of

the law should punish or torture only with just cause. He wanted his administrators to be certain

beyond all doubt that a crime had been committed before they commenced with a punishment.

He also had a vast network of informants to ensure that they performed their duties in a just

manner. These officers of morality were granted entrance everywhere in the kingdom for the

purposes of observation and oversight, including the homes of citizens. Because the edicts are

only prescriptive in nature, they in no way prevented corruption within the administration, which

was indeed widespread.

The historical significance of the dhamma of Ashoka is that it resulted in a semblance of

a state in a modern sense; that is to say, a civil society. The Mauryan kingdom under Ashoka’s

rule was in no way a republican state. But it, like a republican state, developed as a product of

idealistic thinking, which is represented in the dhamma of Ashoka. Ashoka’s ideology can in a

way be considered India-specific because it was inspired by Buddhist principles, which

originated in India. It is known that the Mauryan Empire was not isolated, but had extensive ties

with the nations surrounding India. The Greek ambassador to Pataliputra, Megasthenes, wrote

extensively on the edicts of Ashoka. It could be that the Mauryan kingdom under Ashoka not

only created a model for future Indian empires, but also influenced the West through its contacts

with the ancient Greeks, to whom many of the practices of modern governments are attributed.

Perhaps this analysis is overdrawn, but it certainly seems to be a possibility.