Biography

Pythagoras (Greek: Πυθαγόρας) was a Greek philosopher, mystic and mathematician, who lived between  570
BC and 495 BC.

It's being told that have traveled to Egypt, Babylon and India. He took the knowledge from these
communities back to Greece where he founded a Mystery in Croton, one of the Greek cities in
Calabria, Italy. Here he found a protector and benefactor, Milo's richest man. Milos daughter Theano
was Pythagoras' favorite student, later they were married. According Jamblikos, the last leader of the
Syrian Neoplatonic school Evboia, Theano work with the golden mean. Daughter Damo must have
been responsible for Pythagoras' surviving writings. The other two daughters, and Arignote Miyia,
was also pythagoréere. It is difficult to determine which of the discoveries credited to him that really
is his own, which should be attributed to other members of the school, and what he had learned during
their long journeys.

Pythagoras believed in reincarnation, and believed that the soul of man can also be reborn in an
animal. His disciples in the highest ranks did not eat any meat or fish. Pythagoras himself was a
vegetarian. Pythagoras recommended offerings of food to the gods, but rejected the specific blood
sacrifice. He believed that the slaughter brings out the lowest instincts and desires of man, and thereby
increases the likelihood of war and other violence between people. For him, the soul of a fallen deity,
polluted by this world and trapped in the body like a grave, doomed to an eternal cycle of rebirths, but
with the ability to free through ritual purification that would bring harmony between the soul and the
world around it. He voiced the universal human experience of being a stranger in a world that is our
element.

Summary
Pythagoras (born in Samos, died in Metapontum), he is also known as Pythagoras of Samos, was a
famous Mathematician from Greece, who lived between 570 BC and 495 BC.
Pythagoras was born on the c.575 B.C.E on the island of Samos which was off Greece in the
Mediterranean Sea. Pythagoras was born by Mnesarchus. He was a Greek philosopher, a scientist
and religious scholar.
He went to school in Greece and fled to Southern Italy in order to be saved from the cruel
government of Polycrates that enthrone on 538 B.C.E. when they came to power, Pythagoras was
in Egypt and Babylon.

When Pythagoras got to Croton in Southern Italy, he set up a school for the sector that he freshly
formed. He became politically powerful that he joined local government so that he can train
people and lead them to pure life through his teachings. At the gathering of this sector, a rival
group rose against him and were almost scattered and destroyed. Pythagoras neither left Croton
nor forced to leave when he was killed in Metapontum at the early of 5 th century B.C.E.

Pythagoras and his group have contributed greatly to science and religion. Pythagoras based his
teaching on metempsychosis which means that soul do not dies and ahs been assigned to birth
of recycling till it is capable to beat liberty by itself from the cycle through life purity. His system
was in contrast to other philosopher system in the sense that it was based on the entire life way
that could be either resulted to salvation or delivery from sin despite that there is no proof to
display that soul could be raised in plant form or animal form.

PYTHAGORAS MATHEMATICAL TEACHING

Pythagoras stated mathematically that the oddness and evenness of numerals are equivalent to
limited and unlimited or single and many or right and left or male and female or boy and girl or
straight and crooked, light and darkness or motionless and movement or good and bad.
Pythagoras also discover a theorem after is known Pythagoras theorem despite that it has been
discovered by writing it in a stone during the Babylonian king. Hammurabi that died in c.1750
B.C.E. Pythagoras and his followers did great work on an aspect of mathematics.

Due to Pythagoras studies on mathematics and religions built up a cosmology. This is the study
of structures of the universe. He and his followers saw the earth being spherical and moved
round the middle of the universe. But there was no record on which of the theory is named
through Pythagoras. Through his mathematical knowledge with his followers, he was able to
make history in the thought of the Western. Also his religious teaching and his self discipline and
being devoted make him to be a great teacher of religion in the old Greek world. Pythagoras set
up some influential mathematical and some theories on philosophy which makes great impact on
people today even on those students of these days that did not know Pythagoras in person but
just hearing his name through mathematical aspect. Pythagoras is a great scientist and
philosopher that makes a great heart felt impact on people both religiously and on personal life.
He died in c.495 B.C.E at Metapontum.

P ythagoras is often referred to as the first pure mathematician. He was born on the island of
Samos, Greece in 569 BC. Various writings place his death between 500 BC and 475 BC in
Metapontum, Lucania, Italy. His father, Mnesarchus, was a gem merchant. His mother's name
was Pythais. Pythagoras had two or three brothers.

Some historians say that Pythagoras was married to a woman named Theano and had a
daughter Damo, and a son named Telauges, who succeeded Pythagoras as a teacher and
possibly taught Empedocles. Others say that Theano was one of his students, not his wife, and
say that Pythagoras never married and had no children.

Pythagoras was well educated, and he played the lyre throughout his lifetime, knew poetry and
recited Homer. He was interested in mathematics, philosophy, astronomy and music, and was
greatly influenced by Pherekydes (philosophy), Thales (mathematics and astronomy) and
Anaximander (philosophy, geometry).

Pythagoras left Samos for Egypt in about 535 B.C. to study with the priests in the temples. Many
of the practices of the society he created later in Italy can be traced to the beliefs of Egyptian
priests, such as the codes of secrecy, striving for purity, and refusal to eat beans or to wear
animal skins as clothing.

Ten years later, when Persia invaded Egypt, Pythagoras was taken prisoner and sent to Babylon
(in what is now Iraq), where he met the Magoi, priests who taught him sacred rites. Iamblichus
(250-330 AD), a Syrian philosopher, wrote about Pythagoras, "He also reached the acme of
perfection in arithmetic and music and the other mathematical sciences taught by the
Babylonians..."
In 520 BC, Pythagoras, now a free man, left Babylon and returned to Samos, and sometime later
began a school called The Semicircle. His methods of teaching were not popular with the leaders
of Samos, and their desire for him to become involved in politics did not appeal to him, so he left.

Pythagoras settled in Crotona, a Greek colony in southern Italy, about 518 BC, and founded a
philosophical and religious school where his many followers lived and worked. The Pythagoreans
lived by rules of behavior, including when they spoke, what they wore and what they ate.
Pythagoras was the Master of the society, and the followers, both men and women, who also
lived there, were known as mathematikoi. They had no personal possessions and were
vegetarians. Another group of followers who lived apart from the school were allowed to have
personal possessions and were not expected to be vegetarians. They all worked communally on
discoveries and theories. Pythagoras believed:

 All things are numbers. Mathematics is the basis for everything, and geometry is the
highest form of mathematical studies. The physical world can understood through
mathematics.
 The soul resides in the brain, and is immortal. It moves from one being to another,
sometimes from a human into an animal, through a series of reincarnations called
transmigration until it becomes pure. Pythagoras believed that both mathematics and
music could purify.
 Numbers have personalities, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.
 The world depends upon the interaction of opposites, such as male and female,
lightness and darkness, warm and cold, dry and moist, light and heavy, fast and
slow.
 Certain symbols have a mystical significance.
 All members of the society should observe strict loyalty and secrecy.
Because of the strict secrecy among the members of Pythagoras' society, and the fact that they
shared ideas and intellectual discoveries within the group and did not give individuals credit, it is
difficult to be certain whether all the theorems attributed to Pythagoras were originally his, or
whether they came from the communal society of the Pythagoreans. Some of the students of
Pythagoras eventually wrote down the theories, teachings and discoveries of the group, but the
Pythagoreans always gave credit to Pythagoras as the Master for:

1. The sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles.

2. The theorem of Pythagoras - for a right-angled triangle the square on the hypotenuse is
equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. The Babylonians understood this
1000 years earlier, but Pythagoras proved it.
3. Constructing figures of a given area and geometrical algebra. For example they solved
various equations by geometrical means.
4. The discovery of irrational numbers is attributed to the Pythagoreans, but seems unlikely
to have been the idea of Pythagoras because it does not align with his philosophy the all
things are numbers, since number to him meant the ratio of two whole numbers.
5. The five regular solids (tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, icosahedron, dodecahedron). It is
believed that Pythagoras knew how to construct the first three but not last two.
6. Pythagoras taught that Earth was a sphere in the center of the Kosmos (Universe), that
the planets, stars, and the universe were spherical because the sphere was the most
perfect solid figure. He also taught that the paths of the planets were circular. Pythagoras
recognized that the morning star was the same as the evening star, Venus.
Pythagoras studied odd and even numbers, triangular numbers, and perfect numbers.
Pythagoreans contributed to our understanding of angles, triangles, areas, proportion, polygons,
and polyhedra.

Pythagoras also related music to mathematics. He had long played the seven string lyre, and
learned how harmonious the vibrating strings sounded when the lengths of the strings were
proportional to whole numbers, such as 2:1, 3:2, 4:3. Pythagoreans also realized that this
knowledge could be applied to other musical instruments.

The reports of Pythagoras' death are varied. He is said to have been killed by an angry mob, to
have been caught up in a war between the Agrigentum and the Syracusans and killed by the
Syracusans, or been burned out of his school in Crotona and then went to Metapontum where he
starved himself to death. At least two of the stories include a scene where Pythagoras refuses to
trample a crop of bean plants in order to escape, and because of this, he is caught.

The Pythagorean Theorem is a cornerstone of mathematics, and continues to be so interesting

to mathematicians that there are more than 400 different proofs of the theorem, including an
original proof by President Garfield.
Aryabhatta is a renowned mathematician and astronomer of ancient India. He
was born in 476 AD in Kerala. He studied at the University of Nalanda. One of his
major work was Aryabhatiya written in 499 AD. The book dealt with many topics
like astronomy, spherical trigonometry, arithmetic, algebra and plane
trigonometry. He jotted his inventions in mathematics and astronomy in verse
form. The book was translated into Latin in the 13th century. Through the
translated Latin version of the Aryabhattiya, the European mathematicians
learned how to calculate the areas of triangles, volumes of spheres as well as
how to find out the square and cube root. 

In the field of astronomy, Aryabhatta was the pioneer to infer that the Earth is
spherical and it rotates on its own axis which results in day and night. He even
concluded that the moon is dark and shines because of the light of sun. He gave
a logical explanation to the theory of solar and lunar eclipses. He declared that
eclipses are caused due to the shadows casted by the Earth and the moon.
Aryabhatta proposed the geocentric model of the solar system which states that
the Earth is in the center of the universe and also laid the foundation for the
concept of Gravitation. His propounded methods of astronomical calculations in
his Aryabhatta-Siddhatha which was used to make the the Panchanga (Hindu
calendar). What Copernicus and Galileo propounded was suggested by
Aryabhatta nearly 1500 years ago. 

Aryabhatta's contribution in mathematics is unparalleled. He suggested formula

to calculate the areas of a triangle and a circle, which were correct. The Gupta
ruler, Buddhagupta, appointed him the Head of the University for his exceptional
work. Aryabhatta gave the irrational value of pi. He deduced ? = 62832/20000 =
3.1416 claiming, that it was an approximation. He was the first mathematician to
give the 'table of the sines', which is in the form of a single rhyming stanza, where
each syllable stands for increments at... [continues]
The Mauryans ruled India from 322 B.C., to 15 B.C. Chandragupta Maurya, the first
king in the dynasty ruled from 322 B.C., to 298 B.C. Ashoka, who was the third in
line ascended the throne at the very early age of 20 years in 273 B.C. and ruled for a
long period of 41 years, till 232 B.C.

During the reign of Ashoka, the Mauryan empire extended from Hindukush and
Kashmir in the North West to Bengal in the North East. Its southern border was
Karnataka. The present Andhra Pradesh was completely under Ashoka's rule. His
forefathers had already left a good system of administration by appointing Viceroys
to various parts of their empire. He carried on his administration smoothly with the
nssistance of Viceroys. For the first seven years of his rule, there was nothing special
about his administration. Later he wanted to expand his empire and declared war on
Kalinga.

Ashoka fought the Kalinga War in 261 B.C. Though Ashoka won (lie war, it brought a
revolutionary change in the attitude of the emperor. He saw, in the battle field, the
flow of blood, thousands killed and many more wounded. Many became widows and
orphans on account of his ambition to expand his empire. He was totally upset and
deeply moved. During that period he came in contact with the Buddhist monk
'Upagupta' and was attracted towards Buddhism. He embraced Buddhism and
decided not to fight any more battles thereafter, and follow the principle of truth and
non-violence.

Ashoka declared Buddhism as the state religion, and took various measures to preach
and propagate that religion. He implemented a number of welfare programmes for
his people. Construction of tanks, dharmasalas, roads and planting of trees were
taken up. Ashoka was a great builder. He built stupas, viharas and saw that the
Buddhist principles were carved on rocks. They are called 'edicts'. We find Ashoka's
stupas and pillars in many parts of India. The Sarnath Stupa is the most famous
one.The Ashoka Dharma Chakra which we find in the centre of our National Flag, is
taken from the Sarnath Pillar. We find rock edicts of Ashoka on the rocks of
Pathikonda Taluq of Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, which was the southern most
point of his empire.

Ashoka not only spread Buddhism in his empire but also sent ambassadors to China,
Japan, Sri Lanka and other countries to preach the religion. His own sister
Sanghamitra went to Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka, to preach Buddhism.

Ashoka was perhaps, the one emperor, who could rule India, as a whole. His
adherence to the principles of truth, non-violence and welfare of common man, still
stands as a guiding principle to us. Ashoka, undoubtedly, was the one ideal monarch
who ruled this beautiful land of ours.

Ashoka was praised highly by Pandit Nehru for his benevolent rule of the country. It
was he who first established veterinary hospitals for the cattle and other animals.
Ashoka was known as Priyadarsana (very handsome to look). He was also called
Devanam Priyaha or the Beloved of the Gods.

Essay Introduction:

Ashoka was one of the two greatest emperors of India. He sat on the throne of
Magadha in 273 BC after the death of his father, Bindusar. He reigned about 40
years. He was the first monarch to educate his men and lead them to the path of
truth. He is the only military man on record who gave up warfare after winning a
grand victory.

Birth, Childhood and Education:

Ashoka was the grandson of Chandragupt who founded the Maurya Empire in the
year of 322 BC in Magadha. The name of his father was Bindusar.

Ashoka was brought up in his father’s palace in Pataliputra, the Capital of Magadha.
In the name of his education he received thing that learning, culture and wealth
could supply. It is said that in his childhood he had a very wild nature. But after he
had ascended the throne, there was a complete change in his nature.

Accession to the Throne:

Ashoka ascended the throne in 273 BC at the age of about twenty. For the first eleven
years he ruled just like his father and grandfather. Then came a great change in him
like a king.

His Conquest over Kalinga:

About the year 262 BC he decided to extend his empire by conquering the kingdom
of Kalinga now called Orissa. He waged a very bloody war. After a great slaughter of
men, women and children, he conquered Kalinga and added it to his empire.

Conversion to Buddhism:
But he had not the cruel heart of a conqueror. The sight of the terrible ruin and
destruction filled his mind with horror. The sufferings and bloodshed which resulted
from the war had a great effect on his mind. At his time he had a chance to meet a
great Buddhist preacher named Upagupt. The teaching of Upagupt brought about a
complete change in his life and character. He made Buddhism the state religion. He
decided to establish the empire on the basis of love, order and peace.

Spread of Buddhism:

Buddhism made him a lover of all forms of life. He established hospitals for men and
animals. He banned animal sacrifice throughout his empire. He sent missionaries to
Tibet, China, Japan, Burma, Ceylon and Deccan for the spread of Buddhism. He
made Buddhism as the state religion. He began to practice the Law of Piety. He
instructed people in that law. He robes of a Buddhist monk. It was due to his efforts
that China, Japan, Tibet, Ceylon and some other Asiatic countries still follow
Buddhism.

He was not satisfied only with the spread of Buddhism to foreign countries. He did
his best to make people happy and peaceful. For this purpose he made 14 principals
of law. He got them inscribed on rocks and pillars throughout the empire. They are
known as the edicts of Ashoka. They taught the people to truthful, loving, dutiful,
non-violent and obedient to their superiors.

His Character:

Ashoka is a man of character. This is clear from the fact that he kept peace in a war-
like age. He adopted Buddhism which was thought a heretical religion in those days.
He carried into practice its teachings. As a king he was just and merciful. He was
accessible to people at all hours. He would hear their complaint and redress their
grievances himself. He was in the true sense of the father of his people. He spent his
life to the services of their best interest.

Conclusion:

Kings from Europe and Africa sent ambassadors to his court. They sought his
friendship. He was not only one of the greatest emperors of India but one of the
greatest and the best the world has ever seen.
I have enforced the law against killing certain animals and many others, but the
greatest progress of righteousness among men comes from the exhortation in
favour of non-injury to life and abstention from killing living beings. - Asoka's
Edicts
Extract from India - a concise history, by Francis Watson

Under Chadragupta [founder of the Mauryan dynasty] and his son Bindusura
power was pushed southwards, thrusting in some form as far as the Mysore
plateau. To be productive on this scale, military force required the organisation of
an elaborately authoritarian state.

. . . On these remarkable foundations the great Emperor Ashoka, second in

succession from Chandragupta, built something of a different quality. The edicts
carved for Ashoka, with a clearly permanent intent, upon imperishable rock, the
inscriptions upon the pillars of inimitably polished sandstone which he set up
throughout his vast dominions, yield a new concept of kingship and indeed of the
nature of man. Even when the Arthashastra's robust avoidance of cant has been
conceded, its cynicism is rebuked in the contemplation of the Ashokan model: an
equitable society in which the function of absolutism is translated by the ruler as
'the debt that I owe to all living creatures'.

During his first few years as emperor, Ashoka, who had previously served as
governor in two secondary capitals, Taxila and Ujjain, maintained the methods of
his predecessors and exerted himself to round off their legacy of an empire
stretching from sea to sea, and from Kashmir to the southern Deccan, somewhat
north of the present alignment of Madras and Bangalore. All that was required was
the final and hard-fought subjection of the Kalingas (occupying today's Orissa on
the Bay of Bengal). And it was this operation which provoked what one of his
inscriptions described as 'His Sacred Majesty's remorse . . . because the conquest of
a country hitherto unsubdued involves the slaughter, death and carrying away
captive of the people'. The 'Law of Piety' which he thereupon adopted, and
inculcated in the three or four peaceful decades remaining to his reign, was a
public acceptance of the message preached two centuries before by the Buddha
whose name, however, was nowhere mentioned in the inscriptions.

The postulate of a moral political economy, substituting for violent suppression a

practical assault on poverty and insecurity, is one of the early features of the
Buddhist canon, not implausibly ascribed to Gautama himself Ashoka's public
works - the provision of free hospitals and veterinary clinics, bathing-tanks, wells
and drinking places for cattle, shade trees and rest-houses for road travellers - were
acts of social compassion without respect to quick returns. His revulsion from
warfare, in an empire freed for the time from internal threats, reduced an
extravagant army to a defence force concentrated where it might be needed, in the
north-west. For the peace and settlement of his dominions, especially of the tribal
areas, Ashoka introduced a new class of travelling supervisors (Kosambi translates
them as 'High Commissioners of Equity') responsible for examining and redressing
complaints on a basis of regard for the needs and customs of particular groups and
minorities. Caste was something about which none of the Maurya dynasty seemed
rigid (Chandragupta is thought to have been of mixed origin), but the tyrannizing
bureaucracy of the system had produced social tensions, and Ashoka's evident
objective was the reconciliation of classes. He restored the neglected routine of
administrative reports, which he was ready at all times to receive and study, and he
required the higher civil servants to make quinquennial tours of the different
regions. His own wide and frequent journeys helped to temper the centralization of
a system in which the only appearance of the ruler in the countryside had been in
war or the lavish pursuit of game.

Ashoka's abandonment of the royal tradition of the chase was in line with the
reverence for animal life that he showed by a vegetarian table. To his subjects
blood sacrifices were forbidden, but hunting was not, except of 'non-edible' beasts
and birds on protected lists. Outside the imperial household beef and other meat
was openly available: the cow was not then sacred.

Buddhism did not become a state religion - a concept foreign to Indian ideas, then
as now; but the movement grew rapidly with the prestige of Ashoka's support, and
became known beyond India with the Emperor's missionary-embassies to Seleucid
Syria, Ptolemaic Egypt and other Hellenistic kingdoms, Ceylon (where he sent his
own son) and probably Nepal. Several of the innumerable stupas set up in Ashoka's
reign were regarded as his personal foundation, among them the inner brick core of
the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The multiplying monasteries were self-governing
institutions, protected and at intervals guided by the ruler, but mainly financed -
now that the rule against cash offerings had lapsed - by the laity, rich and poor.
The Jains (bitter rivals in the Buddhist chronicles) also enjoyed Ashoka's
patronage, pillar, and he was on good terms with the brabman priesthood, with
whom remained the ritual functions connected with birth, death, marriage and at an
initiation which like sacrifices were rejected in the Buddha's doctrine.

Another religious group that flourished under the benign Emperor was the
resolutely independent ascetic sect of the Ajivikas. The Barabar caves in Bihar,
assigned to Ajivika use by Ashoka, are the earliest in the great succession of India's
rock-cut architecture. Like the railings and gates at Sanchi they imitate in stone the
wooden structures which in Ashoka's reign began to be replaced also by free-
standing buildings of stone. One of the fine commemorative columns, carved at
this time, under evident Persian influence, bears on one of its capitals a group of
four lions, today the emblem of the Republic of India.
 "All men are my children. I am like a father to them. As every father desires the good
and the happiness of his children, I wish that all men should be happy always."

These are the words of an emperor who lived two thousand and three hundred years
ago.

This emperor was Ashoka (also called ‘Devanampriya Priyadarshi’). The wheel in the
abacus of the pillar which he erected as a memorial at Saranath now adorns the national flag
of free India.

The rock inscription of Devanampriya Priyadarshi were being discovered all over
India for centuries. But for a long time the identity of this ‘Devanampriya Priyadarshi’
remained a puzzie.

One day in the year 1915 near a village called Maski in Raichur District of Karnataka,
a rock inscription was discovered on a hill. In this inscription for the first time the name of
Ashoka was found with titles like Devanampriya and Priyadarshi. It was then certain that
Devanampriya Priyadarshi was no othe than Ashoka.

The Mauryan Emperor, whose name shone like a very bright star in the history of the
world, and whom the world honors and lovers ven two thousand years after his death.

Ashoka was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta was the first ruler
of the Mauryan Empire. He ruled for about twenty four years, and then, seeking peace of
mind, handed over the reigns of his empire to his son, Bindusara. This Bindusara was the
father of Ashoka.

Subhadrangi was the mother of Ashoka. She was the daughter of a poor man of
Champakanagar.

As a boy Ashoka was not only active also mischievous. He was a skilful hunter. From
the time of Chandragupta Maurya the hunting expedition of the Emperor and the royal family
was a splendid sight.
 Ashoka was not handsome. But no prince excelled him in valour, courage, dignity,
love of adventure and ability in administration. Therefore even as a prince Ashoka was loved
and respected by his subjects and by his ministers. Bindusara discovered the ability of his son
quire early and, when Ashoka was still young, appointed him Governor of Avanti.

Ujjain was the capital of Avanti. It was a beautiful city, and the home of knowledge,
wealth and art. Within a few days of taking over the administration of Avanti, Ashoka
became an excellent statesman. It was when he was in this city he married Shakya Kumari,
the beautiful daughter of a merchant of Vidishanagar. She gave birth to two children,
Mahendra and Sanghamitra.

Ashoka’s valour, courage and wisdom were soon tested. The citizens of Taxila rose in
revolt against the rule of Magadha. Bindusara’s eldest son, Susheema could not put down the
rebellion. Bindusara sent Ashoka to suppress the revolt. Ashoka did not have enough forces
but yet moved towards the city boldly.

A suprising thing happened. The citizens of Taxila never thought of fighting against
Ashoka. They gave him a grand welcome.

They pleaded, "We do not hate either Bindusara or the royal family. The wicked
ministers are responsible for our revolt. We misunderstood you because of their evil advice.
We are not rebels. Please forgive us."

Ashoka understood the real situation and punished those responsible for the revolt. He
stayed there for some days and gave the people some advice in simple and beautiful words.
When complete peace had been established in the city, Ashoka returned to his province.

Days and years passed.

Bindusara grew old. His body became weak. His health declined. 

Among his ministers one minister by name Radhagupta was prominent. He and the
others began to think about the future welfare of the empire.

Bindusara’s eldest son was Susheema. According to custom he should have succeeded
to the throne.

But the rovolt of Taxila had exposed his weakness.

Besides, he had begun to behave with insolence.

The council of ministers felt that the empire would suffer and lose peace and
prosperity and that there would be no justice in the land if Susheema was crowned king.
Therefore they sent word to Ashoka that his father was ill and that he should rush to the bed
side of his sick father.

Emperor Bindusara had won the title ‘Amitraghatha’ (one who strikes those who are
unfriendly). He had annexed the area between the east coast and the west coast in south India
and extended his empire. He ruled over this empire for twenty-five years and died in 272
B.C. Ashoka who had come to Pataliputra from Ujjain at the request of Radhagupta, the
Chief Minister, was crowned king of Magadha after the death of his father.

What happened after this is not very clear. Perhaps Susheema heard the news of his
father’s deth and feared that Ashoka might be crowned King; he probably came from Taxila
with a large army. He came prepared to fight if necessary. But he was killed even as he was
attempting to gain an entrance to the city.

There is a story that Ashoka had all his brothers killed for the sake of the kingdom.
There is no historical basis for this story. Ashoka has spoken affectionately about his brothers
in his rock inscriptions.

The fifth day of the third month Jyestamasa of the year 268 B.C. was the auspicious
day on which Ashoka ws crowned king. Pataliputra was gaily decorated.

The auspicious time fixed for the coonation arrived. Auspicious music Sounded.
Young and radiant Ashoka entered the court, surrounded by his bodyguards. The heir to the
throne of Magadha bowed to the throne and ascended it. As the priests chanted sacred verses,
the heir was adorned with the appropriate symbols of royalty and the crown was placed on his
head. The citizens of Pataliputra rejoiced that the empire was blessed with an able ruler.

Ashoka was a very intelligent statesman. He ruled over Magadha wisely and ably.
The council of ministers and officers of state were obedient, dutiful and able. Therefore peace
and plenty brightened the land.

Happiness makes man forget how time passes.

Eight years passed without anyone realizing it.

Ashoka became the lord of a vast empire. But Kalinga, a small state (now called
Orissa), remained independent, beyond Ashoka's empire.

Kalinga was a rich and fertile land between the Godavari and the Manhandi. The
people of Kalinga were patriots and loved freedom. They were ready to fight and die in
defense of their motherland.
 During Ashoka's grandfather's time the Kalinga army had only 60,000 infantry, 1,000
cavalry and 700 elephants. During Bindusara's reign and at the beginning of Ashoka's reign
Kalinga must have improved its armed forces considerably.

The mighty Magadha army marched towards Kalinga. Ashoka himself went at the
head of his vast army.

The Kalinga army resisted the Magadha army and fought bravely. They were not
afraid even of death. But their valor and sacrifices were in vain and finally it accepted defeat.

Ashoka won a glorious victory.

'What Have I done!

True, Ashoka was victorious and Kalinga was his.

What was the price of this victory?

Ashoka who led the army saw the battlefield with his own eyes.

As far as his eye could see he saw only the corpses of elephants and horses, and the
limbs of soldiers killed in the battle. There were streams of blood. Soldiers were rolling on
the ground in unbearable pain. There were orphaned children. And eagles flew about to feast
on the dead bodies.

Not one or two but hundreds of terrible sights greeted Ashoka's eyes. His heart was
broken with grief and shame.

He felt unhappy over the victory, which he had won at the cost of so much suffering.
'What a dreadful deed have I done? I was the head of a vast empire, but I longed to subjugate
a small kingdom and caused the death of thousands of soldiers; I widowed thousands of
women and orphaned thousands of children. With these oppressive thoughts in his minds he
could not stay there any longer. He led his army back towards Pataliputra with a heavy heart.

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.

In the history of the world, many kings have sworn not to fight again, after they had
been defeated. 

But how many kings have been moved by pity in the hour of victory and laid down
arms?

Perhaps there has been only one such king in the history of the whole world-Ashoka.

'The victory of Dharma brings with it love and affection. Devanampriya believes that,
however small may be the love gained by its victory, it brings ample reward in the other
world."

This is what Ashoka has said in one of his inscriptions.

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, kindness and love of mankind appealed to the

unhappy Ashoka. A disciple of Buddha, 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.

'Of all victories, the victory of Dharma is the noblest. One may win a piece of land by
fighting a war. But by kindness, love and pity one can win the hearts of people. The sharp
point of the sword spills blood; but from Dharma springs the fountain of love. The victory
won by arms brings fleeting joy but the victory of Dharma brings lasting joy'-Ashoka realized
this truth. So he taught his subjects this lesson:

'All people should live a life of truthfulness, justice and love. Respect your parents.
Treat your teachers and relatives with affection. Be modest in their presence. Give charity.
Do not be unkind to animals. No one should think that he end his religion are the greatest. All
religions preach the same virtues. Just as it is bad to indulge in self-praise and slandering
others, it is bad to condemn other religions. Respect for other religions brings glory to one's
own religion.'
 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 goodwill 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 after the Kalinga war. His pilgrimage started
with his visit to 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 could 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.

We read in history about many kings who put up inscriptions about their invasions,
charities, donations and the extension of their territories. But it is only Ashoka who got
inscriptions carved on rocks and pillars, which lead people from untruth to truth, from death
to immortality and from darkness to light. To this day they are like lights of wisdom. The
laws of Dharma are like the seeds of virtue sown in the hearts of the people. They are steps
leading to salvation.

In order to foster greater understanding regarding Dharma, Ashoka took a bold and
firm step. He wished to show that all religions teach the same path of virtue. In one of his
inscriptions Ashoka says, 'We must respect the followers of other religions in every way. By
doing so we can help the growth of our religion and we can help other religions also. If we
act in a different way it will harm our religion and also other religions. The man who wants
his religion to spread rapidly and honors only his religion and speaks ill of other religions will
harm the interests of his own religion. The power of all religions should grow. Devanampriya
does not consider charity and worship more important than this.' He appointed officers called
'Dharma - Mahamatras' in order to spread these ideas among the people. These officers met
people of different religions and lived among them; they helped to remove the mistaken ideas
they had about other religions and to know what was good in them. Often the money set apart
for religious purposes was spent otherwise. Sometimes though it seems to have been spent for
religious purpose, selfish people pocket it. It was the duty of the Dharma - Mahamatras to see
that the money meant for religious purposes was spent properly. They toured the empire and
visited the courts of justice also. They set right the errors in the conduct of affairs and in the
awards of punishments. Such officers do not seem to have been appointed anywhere else in
the history of the world. Besides these, other officers also toured the empire once in five
years according to the orders of the emperor and spread the Dharma among the people.

After seventeen years of Ashoka's rule, unfortunately difference of opinion arose

among the Buddhist monks and there was a split. There were many lazy and bad monks given
to evil ways. These willful sanyasins were a curse to Buddhism. Buddhism was, therefore,
losing its power. Ashoka felt unhappy over this. In order to save Buddhism for total eclipse
and to increase its influence, Ashoka threw out many lazy monks from the Buddhist fold. He
invited the worthy and the serious - minded monks to Ashokarama in Pataliputra for a
conference. Moggaliputra Tishya presided over the conference attended by the Buddhist
monks from the Four Corners of the country. Ashoka sat with the great teaches and sent for
each Bhikshu and asked him, "What did Lord Buddha teach?" He discussed many things with
them. After long discussions what Lord Buddha had taught came out clearly and
unambiguously.

Buddhism gained a new strength from this conference. Ashoka unline other kings did
not send his armies to foreign lands to conquer them. He who declared that the victory of
Dharma was the real victory, he sent Buddhist monks to other lands to spread the light he had
received from Buddhism. He sent Buddhist preachers to Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, Burma and
Kashmir. To Ceylon (Srilanka) he sent his own children Mahendra and Sanghamitra. As a
result off this, Buddhism spread to all countries in East Asia.

In the twentieth year of his reign, Ashoka undertook his second pilgrimage with his
daughter and Upagupta. This we learn from his inscriptions. During this pilgrimage he visited
the ruins of Vaishali and the places where Buddha used to rest. From Vaishali Ashoka
traveled east and came to Ramagrama. He visited the stoopa at Ramagrama built by a king
who had collected and preserved the sacred bones of Buddha after his death. Later he also
visited Lumbini, Kapilavastu, Shravanti, Gaya and other holy places. Wherever he went he
caused pillars and stoopas to be erected in memory of his visit. They remind us even today of
the visit of Ashoka to those holy places.

There is one such memorial pillar at Sarnath. On the top of a stone pillar about fifty
feet high there are beautifully carved figures of four standing lions. The figures of the lions
are now to be seen in the official emblem of the government of free India, and the Ashoka
Chakra adorns the national flag of India. In this way the government of India has paid a
deserving tribute to the ideal king, Ashoka. But unfortunately the pillar at Sarnath is broken
and mutilated. So we can see only fragments of the pillar. Of the eighty-four thousand
stoopas said to have been built by Ashoka, the stoopa at Sanchi is both famous and splendid.
To this day this fifty-four feet stoopa stands on a high pedestal and forms a semicircle.
Besides these stoopas and pillars, Ashoka built cave dwellings, rest houses and Buddha
Viharas in large numbers. They not only proclaim Ashoka's teachings but also are examples
of the splendid architecture of those days.

There have been many emperors in the history of India but few that ruled over such a
vast empire as Ashoka's. His empire extended over a large part of India and Afghanistan and
Beluchistan beyond the Northwest province and Nepal in the North, as well as the Bengal,
Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and a large part of Karnataka of today. The inscriptions discovered in
these parts prove this.

Though Pataliputra was the capital of the vast empire, for the proper administration of
his empire, Ashoka divided his empire into four provinces. Malava, Punjab, Dakshinapatha
and Kalinga. Ujjain was the capital of Punjab, Taxila of Malava, Suvarnagiri of
Dakshinapatha and Kosala of Kalinga. He appointed a representative in each province. The
representatives were chosen for their ability and not on the basis of birth or high connections.
They enjoyed considerable freedom in the administration of their provinces.

To assist the emperor there was a council of Minsters in the capital. If the emperor
wanted to make changes, he used to consult the Minsters. After the council examined the pros
and cons of a proposal it was implemented. Usually the emperor accepted the decision of the
council of ministers.

Chanakya (kautilya), the Chief Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, has described the
daily life of the kings of that age as follows:

'The king gets up at 3 a.m. And till half past four examines various matters relating to
the empire and takes decisions. He then receives the blessings of teachers and priests. Then
he meets his doctors and the officials of the kitchen. He then goes to the court hall and
considers from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. the revenue and the expenditure of the previous day. From
7.30 he grants interviews to persons who have come to meet the emperor on urgent matters,
and examines their submissions. He retires to bathe at 9. After bath, prayer and breakfast, the
emperor meets officers of the empire at 10.30 a.m. and issues instructions on many matters.
At noon he meets the council of ministers and discusses matters of state. After rest between
1.30 and 3 p.m. he inspects the various divisions of the army. After this he receives reports
from messengers and spies who have come from different parts of his empire and from other
kingdom.'

Ashoka, who continued the ideal and the tradition of his grandfather Chandragupta,
practiced in letter and spirit, the routine set down by Chanakya. Besides, Ashoka believed
that the prosperity of his subjects was his prosperity; so he had appointed officers to report to
him on the welfare and sufferings of the people. They were to report to him no matter what
the hour was. His own order best shows his concern for the people:

"Whether I am dining or in my private apartments, asleep or engaged in some work,

setting out on a journey or resting; wherever I may be and whatever the time of the day or
night the officers must come and report to me about the people and their affairs. Wherever I
may be I shall think about the welfare of the people and work for them." These words are
enough to show Ashoka's devotion to the welfare of his people.

Ashoka defeated Kalinga in war, hadn't he? He then appointed officers to administer
the kingdom. How do officers who go from the victorious state to the defeated land usually
behave towards the people? They lose all sense of justice and fair play and behave proudly.
They insult the defeated people. Ashoka did not want this to happen. He desired that the
people of Kalinga should live in peace and honor. This was his order to the officers who were
sent to Kalinga:

"I have put you in charge of thousands of people. Earn the love and affection of all
those people. Whatever situation may arise treat all people alike. Be impartial in your actions.
Give up rudeness, haste, laziness, and lack of interest and short temper. Nothing can be
achieved if we are bored and idle. Therefore be active. If you understand how sacred your
work is and behave with a sense of responsibility, you will go to heaven, and you will also
repay your debt to the king who appointed you." Ashoka who treated his subjects as his
children, further said, "Like a mother who gives her child to an able nurse, trusting that she
would bring up the baby well. I have entrusted my subjects to your care."

Ashoka worked hard especially for the spread of education in his land. Nalanda is
famous in history; it was the center of education and the University of Magadha. It is said that
university of Magadha was established by Ashoka. Students of that university were very
much respected. During his time trade with foreign countries was carried on by sea routes. He
encouraged agriculture, trade and industries. There were canals to help irrigation. All the
money paid into the Government treasury was spent for the welfare of the people.

Ashoka has big roads laid to help the growth of business and industries. For the
benefit of travelers he had trees planted on both sides of the roads. Wells were dug and guest
houses and rest houses were put up. There was free medical aid both for men and for animals.
Ashoka is among the first in the world who built hospitals for the treatment of animals. He
got medicinal plants and a variety of fruit-bearing trees from several places and planted them
where they were not found. In one inscription he has expressed the wish that even the forest
dwellers in his empire should live happily.

Sandalwood wears itself out to give a cool and fragrant paste to men. Sugarcane gives
up its sweet juice to men and reduces itself to mere skin in the process. The candle burns
itself out that others may have light. All his life Ashoka lived like the sandalwood, like the
sugarcane, like the candle.

He worked hard without rest and taught the people to live a life of truthfulness,
Dharma, Justice and morality. There was happiness and peace. There were social gatherings
at which people of all castes and creeds gathered and enjoyed themselves without feeling of
high and low.

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.'

However it is clear that Ashoka was unhappy in his old age.

The Brightest Star in the history of the world

 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' in 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 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.
 This
article is about the Indian emperor. For the nonprofit organization, see Ashoka: Innovators for the
Public.

Ashoka

Maurya Samrat

A "Chakravartin" ruler, 1st century BCE/CE. Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati.

 Preserved at Musee Guimet

Reign 268–232 BCE

Coronation 268 BCE

Born 304 BCE

Birthplace Pataliputra, Patna

Died 232 BCE (aged 72)

Place of death Pataliputra, Patna

Buried Ashes immersed in the GangesRiver, possibly

at Varanasi,Cremated 232 BCE, less than 24 hours after

death

Predecessor Bindusara

Successor Dasaratha

Wives Kaurwaki

Devi

Padmavati

Tishyaraksha

Dynasty Maurya

Father Bindusara

Mother Maharani Dharma or Shubhadrangi

Children Mahendra, Sanghamitra, Tivala,Kunala, Jaluka, Charumati

Religious Buddhism

beliefs
Ashoka Maurya (304–232 BCE) commonly known as Ashoka and also as Ashoka the Great, was
an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269
BCE to 232 BCE.[1] One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India
after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from the modern Iranian provinces of
Khorasan, Sistan and Balochistan (unpartitioned), through the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan,
to present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as
northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The empire had Taxila, Ujjain and Pataliputra as its capital. In
about 260 BCE Ashoka waged a bitterly destructive war against the state of Kalinga (modern Odisha).
[2]
 He conquered Kalinga, which none of his ancestors (starting from Chandragupta Maurya) had
done. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar). He embraced Buddhism after
witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for
conquest. "Ashoka reflected on the war in Kalinga, which reportedly had resulted in more than
100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations."[3] Ashoka converted gradually to Buddhism beginning
about 263 BCE at the latest.[2] He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia,
and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. "Ashoka
regarded Buddhism as a doctrine that could serve as a cultural foundation for political unity." [4] Ashoka
is now remembered as a philanthropic administrator. In the Kalinga edicts, he addresses his people
as his "children", and mentions that as a father he desires their good.

Ashoka is referred to as Samraat Chakravartin Ashoka – the "Emperor of Emperors Ashoka." His

name "aśoka" means "painless, without sorrow" in Sanskrit (the a privativum and śoka "pain,
distress"). In his edicts, he is referred to as Devānāmpriya (Pali Devānaṃpiya or "The Beloved of the
Gods"), and Priyadarśin (Pali Piyadasī or "He who regards everyone with affection"). His fondness for
his name's connection to the Saraca asoca tree, or the "Asoka tree" is also referenced in
the Ashokavadana.

H.G. Wells wrote of Ashoka in A Short History of the World (H. G. Wells):

In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves
"Their Highnesses," "Their Majesties," "Their Exalted Majesties," and so on. They shone for a brief
moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star, even
unto this day.

Along with the Edicts of Ashoka, his legend is related in the 2nd-century Ashokavadana ("Narrative of

Asoka," a part of Divyavadana), and in the Sri Lankan text Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle").

Ashoka played a critical role in helping make Buddhism a world religion. [5] The emblem of the modern
Republic of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Contents
  [hide] 
1 Biography
o 1.1 Early life

o 1.2 Rise to power

o 1.3 Early life as Emperor

2 Conquest of Kalinga
o 2.1 Buddhist conversion

o 2.2 Death and legacy

 2.2.1 Buddhist kingship

3 Historical sources

4 Perceptions
o 4.1 Foci of Debate

5 Contributions
o 5.1 Global spread of Buddhism

o 5.2 As administrator

o 5.3 Ashoka Chakra

o 5.4 Pillars of Ashoka (Ashokstambha)

o 5.5 Lion Capital of Asoka (Ashokmudra)

o 5.6 Constructions credited to Ashoka

6 In art, film and literature

7 See also

8 References

9 Works cited

10 External links

Biography [edit]
Early life [edit]
Ashoka was born to the Mauryan emperor Bindusara and a relatively lower ranked wife of his,
Dharmā [or Dhammā]. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, founder of Mauryan dynasty.
The Avadana texts mention that his mother was queen Subhadrangī. According to Ashokavadana,
she was the daughter of a Brahmin from the city of Champa. [6]:205 Empress Subhadrangī was a
Brahmin of the Ajivika sect,[7] and was found to be a suitable match for Emperor Bindusara. Though a
palace intrigue kept her away from the emperor, this eventually ended, and she bore a son. It is from
her exclamation "I am now without sorrow," that Ashoka got his name. The Divyāvadāna tells a similar
story, but gives the name of the queen as Janapadakalyānī. [8][9]
Ashoka had several elder siblings, all of whom were his half-brothers from other wives of Bindusara.
He had been given the royal military training knowledge which was greatly apparent as he was known
as a fearsome hunter, and according to a legend, killed a lion with just a wooden rod. He was very
adventurous and a trained fighter, who was known for his skills with the sword. Because of his
reputation as a frightening warrior and a heartless general, he was sent to curb the riots in
the Avanti province of the Mauryan empire.[10]

Rise to power [edit]

Maurya Empire at the age of Ashoka. The empire stretched from Afghanistan to Bangladesh/Assam and from Central
Asia (Afghanistan) to South India.

The Buddhist text Divyavadana describes Ashoka putting down a revolt due to activities of wicked
ministers. This may have been an incident in Bindusara's times. Taranatha's account states
that Chanakya, one of Bindusara's great lords, destroyed the nobles and kings of 16 towns and made
himself the master of all territory between the eastern and the western seas. Some historians consider
this as an indication of Bindusara's conquest of the Deccan while others consider it as suppression of
a revolt. Following this, Ashoka was stationed at Ujjayini as governor. [9]

Bindusara's death in 273 BCE led to a war over succession. According to Divyavandana, Bindusara
wanted his son Sushim to succeed him but Ashoka was supported by his father's ministers, who
found Sushim to be arrogant and disrespectful towards them. [11] A minister named Radhagupta seems
to have played an important role in Ashoka's rise to the throne. The Ashokavadana recounts
Radhagupta's offering of an old royal elephant to Ashoka for him to ride to the Garden of the Gold
Pavilion where King Bindasura would determine his successor. Ashoka later got rid of the legitimate
heir to the throne by tricking him into entering a pit filled with live coals. Radhagupta, according to the
Ashokavadana, would later be appointed prime minister by Ashoka once he had gained the throne.
The Dipavansa and Mahavansa refer to Ashoka's killing 99 of his brothers, sparing only one,
named Vitashoka or Tissa,[9] although there is no clear proof about this incident (many such accounts
are saturated with mythological elements). The coronation happened in 269 BCE, four years after his
succession to the throne.

Early life as Emperor [edit]

An imaginary painting of Asoka's Queen by Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951)

Buddhist legends state that Ashoka was of a wicked nature and bad temper. He submitted his
ministers to a test of loyalty and had 500 of them killed. He also kept a harem of around 500 women.
When a few of these women insulted him for his "rough skin" after he fondly compared himself with
the beauty of the Asoka tree (which according to the Ashokavadana, the women defiled by plucking
off all of the flowers), he had the whole lot of them burnt to death. He also built Ashoka's Hell, an
elaborate torture chamber, deemed the "Paradisal Hell" because of its beautiful exterior contrasted
with the acts carried out inside by his appointed executioner Girikaa, [12] which earned him the name of
"çanḍa Ashoka" or "Chandaashoka," meaning "Ashoka the Fierce" in Sanskrit. Professor Charles
Drekmeier cautions that the Buddhist legends intend to dramatise the change resulting from the
Buddhist change, and therefore, exaggerate Ashoka's past wickedness and his piousness after the
conversion.[13]

Ascending the throne, Ashoka expanded his empire over the next eight years, from the present-day
boundaries and regions of Burma–Bangladesh and the state of Assam in India in the east to the
territory of present-day Iran / Persia and Afghanistan in the west; from the Pamir Knots in the north
almost to the peninsula of southern India (i.e. Tamil Nadu / Andhra Pradesh). [9]

Conquest of Kalinga [edit]
While the early part of Ashoka's reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty, he became a follower of
the Buddha's teachings after his conquest ofKalinga on the east coast of India in the present-day
states of Odisha and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Kalinga was a state that prided itself on its
sovereignty and democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary democracy it was quite an exception
in ancient Bharata where there existed the concept of Rajdharma. Rajdharma means the duty of the
rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with the concept of bravery and dharma. The Kalinga War
happened eight years after his coronation. From his 13th inscription, we come to know that the battle
was a massive one and caused the deaths of more than 100,000 soldiers and many civilians who
rose up in defence; over 150,000 were deported.[14] When he was walking through the grounds of
Kalinga after his conquest, rejoicing in his victory, he was moved by the number of bodies strewn
there and the wails of the kith and kin of the dead.

Buddhist conversion [edit]

A similar four "Indian lion" Lion Capital of Ashoka atop an intact Ashoka Pillar at Wat U Mong near Chiang Mai, Thailand
showing another larger Dharma Chakra / Ashoka Chakra atop the four lions.

Edict 13 on the Edicts of Ashoka Rock Inscriptions reflect the great remorse the king felt after
observing the destruction of Kalinga:

His Majesty feels remorse on account of the conquest of the Kalingaa because, during the
subjugation of a previously unconquered country, slaughter, death, and taking away captive of the
people necessarily occur, whereat His Majesty feels profound sorrow and regret.

The Edict goes on to address the even greater degree of sorrow and regret resulting from Ashoka's
understanding that the friends and families of deceased would suffer greatly too. [15]

Legend says that one day after the war was over, Ashoka ventured out to roam the city and all he
could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he cried the
famous monologue:[16][dubious – discuss]

What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice
or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Did I do it to widen
the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her
husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of
the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers
of death or evil?
The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism and place great emphasis on piety in his
Edicts, and he used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to new heights. He made
Buddhism his state religion around 260 BCE, propagating and preaching it within his domain and
worldwide from about 250 BCE.[17] Prominent in this cause were his son Mahinda (Mahendra) and
daughterSanghamitra (whose name means "friend of the Sangha"), who established Buddhism in
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

Ashokan Pillar at Vaishali

Death and legacy [edit]

Ashoka's Major Rock Edict at Junagadhcontains inscriptions by Ashoka (fourteen of the Edicts of

Ashoka), Rudradamanna I andSkandagupta.

Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years. After his death, the Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more
years. Ashoka had many wives and children, but many of their names are lost to time. Mahindra and
Sanghamitra were twins born by his first wife, Devi, in the city of Ujjain. He had entrusted to them the
job of making his state religion, Buddhism, more popular across the known and the unknown world.
Mahindra and Sanghamitra went into Sri Lanka and converted the King, the Queen and their people
to Buddhism.
In his old age, he seems to have come under the spell of his youngest wife Tishyaraksha. It is said
that she had got Ashoka's son Kunala, the regent in Takshashila and the heir presumptive to the
throne, blinded by a wily stratagem. The official executioners spared Kunala and he became a
wandering singer accompanied by his favourite wife Kanchanmala. In Pataliputra, Ashoka heard
Kunala's song, and realised that Kunala's misfortune may have been a punishment for some past sin
of the emperor himself. He condemned Tishyaraksha to death, restoring Kunala to the court. In the
Ashokavadana, Kunala is portrayed as forgiving Tishyaraksha, having obtained enlightenment
through Buddhist practice. While he urges Ashoka to forgive her as well, Ashoka does not respond
with the same forgiveness.[12] Kunala was succeeded by his son, Samprati, but his rule did not last
long after Ashoka's death.

The reign of Ashoka Maurya might have disappeared into history as the ages passed by, had he not
left behind records of his reign. These records are in the form of sculpted pillars and rocks inscribed
with a variety of actions and teachings he wished to be published under his name. In the process,
Ashoka left behind the first written language in India since the ancient civilisation of Harappa. The
language used for inscription was Prakrit.

In the year 185 BCE, about fifty years after Ashoka's death, the last Maurya ruler, Brhadratha, was
assassinated by the commander-in-chief of the Mauryan armed forces, Pusyamitra Sunga, while he
was taking the Guard of Honor of his forces. Pusyamitra Sunga founded the Sunga dynasty (185
BCE-78 BCE) and ruled just a fragmented part of the Mauryan Empire. Many of the northwestern
territories of the Mauryan Empire (modern-day Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan) became the Indo-
Greek Kingdom.

In 1992, Ashoka was ranked No. 53 on Michael H. Hart's list of the most influential figures in history.
In 2001, a semi-fictionalized portrayal of Ashoka's life was produced as a motion picture under the
title Asoka.

King Ashoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty, has come to be regarded as one of
the most exemplary rulers in world history.

Buddhist kingship [edit]
Main articles: History of Buddhism and History of Buddhism in India

Further information: Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Buddhism in Burma

One of the more enduring legacies of Ashoka Maurya was the model that he provided for the
relationship between Buddhism and the state. Throughout Theravada Southeastern Asia, the model
of rulership embodied by Ashoka replaced the notion of divine kingship that had previously dominated
(in the Angkor kingdom, for instance). Under this model of 'Buddhist kingship', the king sought to
legitimise his rule not through descent from a divine source, but by supporting and earning the
approval of the Buddhist sangha. Following Ashoka's example, kings established monasteries, funded
the construction of stupas, and supported the ordination of monks in their kingdom. Many rulers also
took an active role in resolving disputes over the status and regulation of the sangha, as Ashoka had
in calling a conclave to settle a number of contentious issues during his reign. This development
ultimately lead to a close association in many Southeast Asian countries between the monarchy and
the religious hierarchy, an association that can still be seen today in the state-supported Buddhism of
Thailand and the traditional role of the Thai king as both a religious and secular leader. Ashoka also
said that all his courtiers always governed the people in a moral manner.

According to the legends mentioned in the 2nd-century CE text Ashokavadana, Asoka was not non-
violent after adopting Buddhism. In one instance, a non-Buddhist in Pundravardhanadrew a picture
showing the Buddha bowing at the feet of Nirgrantha Jnatiputra (identified with Mahavira, the founder
of Jainism). On complaint from a Buddhist devotee, Asoka issued an order to arrest him, and
subsequently, another order to kill all the Ajivikas in Pundravardhana. Around 18,000 followers of the
Ajivika sect were executed as a result of this order. [6][18]Sometime later, another Nirgrantha follower
in Pataliputra drew a similar picture. Asoka burnt him and his entire family alive in their house. [18] He
also announced an award of one dinara(silver coin) to anyone who brought him the head of a
Nirgrantha heretic. According to Ashokavadana, as a result of this order, his own brother was
mistaken for a heretic and killed by a cowherd.[6] These stories of persecutions of rival sects by
Ashoka appear to be a clear fabrication arising out of sectarian propaganda. [19][20]

Historical sources [edit]
Main articles: Edicts of Ashoka, Ashokavadana, Mahavamsa, and Dipavamsa

Ashoka was almost forgotten by the historians of the early British India, but James
Prinsep contributed in the revelation of historical sources. Another important historian was
Britisharchaeologist John Hubert Marshall, who was director-General of the Archaeological Survey of
India. His main interests were Sanchi and Sarnath, in addituion to Harappa andMohenjodaro.
Sir Alexander Cunningham, a British archaeologist and army engineer, and often known as the father
of the Archaeological Survey of India, unveiled heritage sites like theBharhut Stupa, Sarnath, Sanchi,
and the Mahabodhi Temple. Mortimer Wheeler, a British archaeologist, also exposed Ashokan
historical sources, especially the Taxila.

Bilingual inscription (in Greek andAramaic) by King Ashoka, discovered atKandahar (National Museum of Afghanistan).
Information about the life and reign of Ashoka primarily comes from a relatively small number of
Buddhist sources. In particular, the SanskritAshokavadana ('Story of Ashoka'), written in the 2nd
century, and the two Pāli chronicles of Sri Lanka (the Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa) provide most of
the currently known information about Ashoka. Additional information is contributed by the Edicts of
Asoka, whose authorship was finally attributed to the Ashoka of Buddhist legend after the discovery of
dynastic lists that gave the name used in the edicts (Priyadarsi – 'He who regards everyone with
affection') as a title or additional name of Ashoka Maurya. Architectural remains of his period have
been found at Kumhrar, Patna, which include an 80-pillar hypostyle hall.

Edicts of Ashoka -The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as

well as boulders and cave walls, made by Ashoka during his reign. These inscriptions are dispersed
throughout modern-day Pakistan and India, and represent the first tangible evidence of Buddhism.
The edicts describe in detail the first wide expansion of Buddhism through the sponsorship of one of
the most powerful kings of Indian history, offering more information about Ashoka's proselytism, moral
precepts, religious precepts, and his notions of social and animal welfare. [21]

Ashokavadana – The Ashokavadana is a 2nd-century CE text related to the legend of Ashoka. The
legend was translated into Chinese by Fa Hien in 300 CE. It is essentially a Hinayana text, and its
world is that of Mathura and North-west India. The emphasis of this little known text is on exploring
the relationship between the king and the community of monks (the Sangha) and setting up an ideal
of religious life for the laity(the common man) by telling appealing stories about religious exploits. The
most startling feature is that Ashoka’s conversion has nothing to do with the Kalinga war, which is not
even mentioned, nor is there a word about his belonging to the Maurya dynasty. Equally surprising is
the record of his use of state power to spread Buddhism in an uncompromising fashion. The legend of
Veetashoka provides insights into Ashoka’s character that are not available in the widely known Pali
records.[12]

Mahavamsa -The Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle") is a historical poem written in the Pali language of

the kings of Sri Lanka. It covers the period from the coming of King Vijaya of Kalinga(ancient Odisha)
in 543 BCE to the reign of King Mahasena (334–361). As it often refers to the royal dynasties of India,
the Mahavamsa is also valuable for historians who wish to date and relate contemporary royal
dynasties in the Indian subcontinent. It is very important in dating the consecration of Ashoka.

Dipavamsa -The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa", (i.e., Chronicle of the Island, in Pali) is the oldest
historical record of Sri Lanka. The chronicle is believe to be compiled from Atthakathaand other
sources around the 3rd or 4th century. King Dhatusena (4th century CE) had ordered that the
Dipavamsa be recited at the Mahinda festival held annually in Anuradhapura.

Perceptions [edit]
The use of Buddhist sources in reconstructing the life of Ashoka has had a strong influence on
perceptions of Ashoka, as well as the interpretations of his Edicts. Building on traditional accounts,
early scholars regarded Ashoka as a primarily Buddhist monarch who underwent a conversion to
Buddhism and was actively engaged in sponsoring and supporting the Buddhist monastic institution.
Some scholars have tended to question this assessment. The only source of information not
attributable to Buddhist sources are the Ashokan Edicts, and these do not explicitly state that Ashoka
was a Buddhist. In his edicts, Ashoka expresses support for all the major religions of his
time: Buddhism, Brahmanism, Jainism, andAjivikaism, and his edicts addressed to the population at
large (there are some addressed specifically to Buddhists; this is not the case for the other religions)
generally focus on moral themes members of all the religions would accept.

However, there is strong evidence in the edicts alone that he was a Buddhist. In one edict he belittles
rituals, and he banned Vedic animal sacrifices; these strongly suggest that he at least did not look to
the Vedic tradition for guidance. Furthermore, there are many edicts expressed to Buddhists alone; in
one, Ashoka declares himself to be an "upasaka", and in another he demonstrates a close familiarity
with Buddhist texts. He erected rock pillars at Buddhist holy sites, but did not do so for the sites of
other religions. He also used the word"dhamma" to refer to qualities of the heart that underlie moral
action; this was an exclusively Buddhist use of the word. Finally, the ideals he promotes correspond to
the first three steps of the Buddha's graduated discourse. [22]

Interestingly, the Ashokavadana presents an alternate view of the faimilar Ashoka; one in which his
conversion does not have anything to do with the Kalinga war or about his descent from the Maurya
dynasty. Instead, Ashoka's reason for adopting non-violence appears much more personal. The
Ashokavadana shows that the main source of Ashoka's conversion and the acts of welfare that
followed are rooted instead in intense personal anguish at its core, from a wellspring inside himself
(not so much necessarily spurned by a specific event). It thereby illuminates Ashoka as more humanly
ambitious and passionate, with both greatness and flaws. ThisAshoka is very different from the
"shadowy do-gooder" of later Pali chronicles.[12]

Much of the knowledge about Ashoka comes from the several inscriptions that he had carved on
pillars and rocks throughout the empire. All his inscriptions present him as compassionate loving. In
the Kalinga rock edits, he addresses his people as his "children" and mentions that as a father he
desires their good.[23] These inscriptions promoted Buddhist morality and encouraged nonviolence and
adherence to dharma (duty or proper behaviour), and they talk of his fame and conquered lands as
well as the neighbouring kingdoms holding up his might. One also gets some primary information
about the Kalinga War and Ashoka's allies plus some useful knowledge on the civil administration.
The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath is the most notable of the relics left by Ashoka. Made of sandstone, this
pillar records the visit of the emperor to Sarnath, in the 3rd century BCE. It has a four-lion capital (four
lions standing back to back) which was adopted as the emblem of the modern Indian republic. The
lion symbolises both Ashoka's imperial rule and the kingship of the Buddha. In translating these
monuments, historians learn the bulk of what is assumed to have been true fact of the Mauryan
Empire. It is difficult to determine whether or not some actual events ever happened, but the stone
etchings clearly depict how Ashoka wanted to be thought of and remembered.

Foci of Debate [edit]
Recently scholarly analysis has determined that the three major foci of debate regarding Ashoka
involve the nature of the Maurya empire; the extent and impact of Ashoka's pacifism, and what is
referred to in the Inscriptions as dhamma or dharma, which connotes goodness, virtue, and charity.
Some historians[who?] have argued that Ashoka's pacifism undermined the "military backbone" of the
Maurya empire, while others have suggested that the extent and impact of his pacifism have been
"grossly exaggerated. The dhamma of the Edicts has been understood as concurrently a Buddhist lay
ethic, a set of politico-moral ideas, a "sort of universal religion," or as an Ashokan innovation. On the
other hand, it has also been interpreted as an essentially political ideology that sought to knit together
a vast and diverse empire. Scholars are still attempting to analyse and both the expressed and
implied political ideas of the Edicts (particularly in regard to imperial vision), and make inferences
pertaining to how that vision was grappling with problems and political realities of a "virtually
subcontinental, and culturally and economically highly variegated, 3rd century BCE Indian empire.
Nonetheless, it remains clear that Ashoka's Inscriptions represent the earliest corpus of royal
inscriptions in the Indian subcontinent, and therefore prove to be a very important innovation in royal
practices.[21]

Contributions [edit]
Global spread of Buddhism [edit]

Stupa of Sanchi.

As a Buddhist emperor, Ashoka believed that Buddhism is beneficial for all human beings as well as
animals and plants, so he built a number of stupas, Sangharama, viharas, chaitya, and residences for
Buddhist monks all over South Asia and Central Asia. He gave donations to viharas and mathas. He
sent his only daughter Sanghamitra and son Mahindra to spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka (then known
as Tamraparni). Ashoka also sent many prominent Buddhist monks (bhikshus) Sthaviras like
Madhyamik Sthavira to modern Kashmir and Afghanistan; Maharaskshit Sthavira to Syria, Persia /
Iran, Egypt, Greece, Italy and Turkey; Massim Sthavira to Nepal, Bhutan, China and Mongolia; Sohn
Uttar Sthavira to modern Cambodia, Laos, Burma (old name Suvarnabhumi for Burma and Thailand),
Thailand and Vietnam; Mahadhhamarakhhita stahvira to Maharashtra (old name Maharatthha);
Maharakhhit Sthavira and Yavandhammarakhhita Sthavira to South India.

Ashoka also invited Buddhists and non-Buddhists for religious conferences. He inspired the Buddhist
monks to compose the sacred religious texts, and also gave all types of help to that end. Ashoka also
helped to develop viharas (intellectual hubs) such as Nalanda and Taxila. Ashoka helped to
construct Sanchi and Mahabodhi Temple. Ashoka also gave donations to non-Buddhists. As his reign
continued his even-handedness was replaced with special inclination towards Buddhism. [24] Ashoka
helped and respected both Sramans (Buddhists monks) and Brahmins (Vedic monks). Ashoka also
helped to organise the Third Buddhist council (c. 250 BCE) at Pataliputra (today's Patna). It was
conducted by the monk Moggaliputta-Tissa who was the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan Emperor
Ashoka.

It is well-known that Ashoka sent dütas or emissaries to convey messages or letters, written or oral
(rather both), to various people. The VIth Rock Edict about "oral orders" reveals this. It was later
confirmed that it was not unusual to add oral messages to written ones, and the content of Ashoka's
messages can be inferred likewise from the XIIIth Rock Edict: They were meant to spread
his dhammavijaya, which he considered the highest victory and which he wished to propagate
everywhere (including far beyond India). There is obvious and undeniable trace of cultural contact
through the adoption of the Kharosthi script, and the idea of installing inscriptions might have travelled
with this script, as Achaemenid influence is seem in some of the formulations used by Ashoka in his
inscriptions. This indicates to us that Ashoka was indeed in contact with other cultures, and was an
active part in mingling and spreading new cultural ideas beyond his own immediate walls. [25]

In his edicts, Ashoka mentions some of the people living in Hellenic countries as converts to
Buddhism, although no Hellenic historical record of this event remain:

Now it is conquest by Dhamma that Beloved-of-the-Gods considers to be the best conquest. And it
(conquest by Dhamma) has been won here, on the borders, even six hundred yojanas away, where
the Greek king Antiochos rules, beyond there where the four kings named Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas
and Alexander rule, likewise in the south among the Cholas, the Pandyas, and as far as Tamraparni.
Here in the king's domain among the Greeks, the Kambojas, the Nabhakas, the Nabhapamkits, the
Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Andhras and the Palidas, everywhere people are following Beloved-of-the-
Gods' instructions in Dhamma. Even where Beloved-of-the-Gods' envoys have not been, these
people too, having heard of the practice of Dhamma and the ordinances and instructions in Dhamma
given by Beloved-of-the-Gods, are following it and will continue to do so.
— Edicts of Ashoka, Rock Edict (S. Dhammika)[26]

It is not too farfetched to imagine, however, that Ashoka received letters from Greek rulers and was
acquainted with the Hellenistic royal orders in the same way as he perhaps knew of the inscriptions of
the Achaemenid kings, given the presence of ambassadors of Hellenistic kings in India (as well as
the dütas sent by Ashoka himself).[25]
The Greeks in India even seem to have played an active role in the propagation of Buddhism, as
some of the emissaries of Ashoka, such as Dharmaraksita, are described in Palisources as leading
Greek (Yona) Buddhist monks, active in spreading Buddhism (the Mahavamsa, XII[27]).

As administrator [edit]

Mauryan ringstone, with standing goddess. Northwest Pakistan. 3rd century BCE. British Museum.

Ashoka's military power was strong, but after his conversion to Buddhism, he maintained friendly
relations with kingdoms in the South likeCholas, Pandya, Keralaputra, the post Alexandrian
empire, Tamraparni, and Suvarnabhumi. His edicts state that he made provisions for medical
treatment of humans and animals in his own kingdom as well as in these neighbouring states. He also
had wells dug and trees planted along the roads for the benefit of the common people. [23]

Ashoka banned the slaughter and eating of the common cattle, and also imposed restrictions on
fishing and fish-eating.[28] He also abolished the royal hunting of animals and restricted the slaying of
animals for food in the royal residence.[29] Because he banned hunting, created many veterinary
clinics and eliminated meat eating on many holidays, the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka has been
described as "one of the very few instances in world history of a government treating its animals as
citizens who are as deserving of its protection as the human residents." [30]

Ashoka Chakra [edit]
Main article: Ashoka Chakra

The Ashoka Chakra, "the wheel of Righteousness" (Dharma in Sanskrit or Dhamma in Pali)"

The Ashoka Chakra (the wheel of Ashoka) is a depiction of the Dharmachakra (see Dharmacakra) or
Dhammachakka in Pali, the Wheel of Dharma (Sanskrit: Chakra means wheel). The wheel has 24
spokes which represent the 12 Laws of Dependent Origination and the 12 Laws of Dependent
Termination. The Ashoka Chakra has been widely inscribed on many relics of the Mauryan Emperor,
most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Sarnath and The Ashoka Pillar. The most visible
use of the Ashoka Chakra today is at the centre of the National flag of the Republic of India (adopted
on 22 July 1947), where it is rendered in a Navy-blue color on a White background, by replacing the
symbol of Charkha (Spinning wheel) of the pre-independence versions of the flag. The Ashoka
Chakra can also been seen on the base of Lion Capital of Ashoka which has been adopted as the
National Emblem of India.

The Ashoka Chakra was built by Ashoka during his reign. Chakra is a Sanskrit word which also
means "cycle" or "self-repeating process." The process it signifies is the cycle of time- as in how the
world changes with time.

A few days before India became independent on August 1947, the specially formed Constituent
Assembly decided that the flag of India must be acceptable to all parties and communities.[31] A flag
with three colours, Saffron, White and Green with the Ashoka Chakra was selected.

Pillars of Ashoka (Ashokstambha) [edit]

Main article: Pillars of Ashoka

The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the northern Indian subcontinent,
and erected by Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BCE. Originally, there must have been
many pillars of Ashoka although only ten with inscriptions still survive. Averaging between forty and
fifty feet in height, and weighing up to fifty tons each, all the pillars were quarried at Chunar, just south
of Varanasi and dragged, sometimes hundreds of miles, to where they were erected. The first Pillar of
Ashoka was found in the 16th century by Thomas Coryat in the ruins of ancient Delhi. The wheel
represents the sun time and Buddhist law, while the swastika stands for the cosmic dance around a
fixed center and guards against evil. There is no evidence of a swastika, or manji, on the pillars.
The Asokan pillar at Lumbini, Nepal

Lion Capital of Asoka (Ashokmudra) [edit]

Main article: Lion Capital of Asoka

The Lion capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four "Indian lions" standing back to back. It was originally
placed atop the Aśoka pillar at Sarnath, now in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The pillar, sometimes
called the Aśoka Column is still in its original location, but the Lion Capital is now in the Sarnath
Museum. This Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath has been adopted as the National Emblem of
India and the wheel "Ashoka Chakra" from its base was placed onto the center of the National Flag of
India.

The capital contains four lions (Indian / Asiatic Lions), standing back to back, mounted on an abacus,
with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull, and a lion,
separated by intervening spoked chariot-wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block
of polished sandstone, the capital was believed to be crowned by a 'Wheel of Dharma'
(Dharmachakra popularly known in India as the "Ashoka Chakra").

The Ashoka Lion capital or the Sarnath lion capital is also known as the national symbol of India. The
Sarnath pillar bears one of the Edicts of Ashoka, an inscription against division within the Buddhist
community, which reads, "No one shall cause division in the order of monks." The Sarnath pillar is a
column surmounted by a capital, which consists of a canopy representing an inverted bell-shaped
lotus flower, a short cylindrical abacus with four 24-spoked Dharma wheels with four animals (an
elephant, a bull, a horse, a lion).

The four animals in the Sarnath capital are believed to symbolise different steps of Lord Buddha's life.
  The Elephant represents the Buddha's idea in reference to the
dream of Queen Maya of a white elephant entering her womb.
 The Bull represents desire during the life of the Buddha as a prince.
 The Horse represents Buddha's departure from palatial life.
 The Lion represents the accomplishment of Buddha.

Besides the religious interpretations, there are some non-religious interpretations also about the
symbolism of the Ashoka capital pillar at Sarnath. According to them, the four lions symbolise
Ashoka's rule over the four directions, the wheels as symbols of his enlightened rule (Chakravartin)
and the four animals as symbols of four adjoining territories of India.

Constructions credited to Ashoka [edit]

Mahabodhi Temple, constructed by Ashoka the Great, approximately 250 BCE;restoration by the British and India post
independence

The British restoration was done by under guidance from Ven.Weligama Sri Sumangala [32]
 Edit links