ASHOKA-THE

GREAT
Name- Utkarsh Harlalka
Class- IV
Section- C
 WHO WAS ASHOKA?

Chakravartin Ashoka or Ashoka- The Great

was the third emperor of the Mauryan
dynasty, grandson of its founder
Chandragupta and son of the second
emperor, Bindusara. Upon Bindusara's death,
Ashoka and his brothers engaged in a war of
succession, and Ashoka emerged victorious
after several years of conflict. Ashoka the
Great, also ruled almost all of the Indian
subcontinent from ‘C. 268 to 232 BCE’. He
promoted Buddhism across ancient Asia. 
 DEADLIEST WAR FOUGHT BY
ASHOKA
The Kalinga War (ended c. 261 BCE) was fought in ancient India
between the Maurya Empire under Ashoka and the state of Kalinga, an
independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the present-
day state of Odisha and northern parts of Andhra Pradesh. It is
presumed that the battle was fought on Dhauli hills in Dhauli which is
situated on the banks of Daya River. The Kalinga War included one of
the largest and deadliest battles in Indian history. Kalinga did not have a
king as it was culturally run without any.

This is the only major war Ashoka fought after his

accession to the throne. In fact, this war marks
the close of empire building and military
conquests of ancient India that began with
Maurya king Bindusara. In the entire Indian
history this war is considered as the deadliest war
costing nearly 250,000 lives.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF ASHOKA
 He excelled in his responsibilities from an early age:- Bindusara appointed
Asoka as the Viceroy of the Ujjain Province; an important administrative and
commercial centre in Central India, during that era. Ashoka excelled in this
role and gave signs of being a capable administrator.
 The Maurya Empire reached its greatest territorial extent under Ashoka.
 He played a key role in spreading of Buddhism across ancient Asia:- Ashoka
not only incorporated principles of Buddhism in his ruling practices but
promoted Buddhist expansion by sending monks to surrounding territories.
 He adopted many welfare measures for people:- He pursued the path
of peace and non-violence, adopted a humanitarian approach towards
governance & policy and introduced a large number of social welfare
measures. These included establishment of medical treatment facilities for
humans and animals and plantation of medicinal herbs.
 The emblem of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka.
 Ashoka serves as an inspiration for his remarkable transformation:-
Ashoka’s transformation from a despotic, ambitious and cruel ruler to the
Emperor who embraced Buddhism and actively pursued its non violent path
is exemplary.
 He sponsored the construction of numerous infrastructure projects.
 ASHOKAN PILLAR:- ONE OF HIS
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
The pillars of Ashoka are a series of monolithic columns dispersed
throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed
with edicts by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. He used the
expression Dhaṃma thaṃbhā, i.e. "pillars of the Dharma" to
describe his own pillars. These pillars constitute important
monuments of the architecture of India, most of them exhibiting the
characteristic Mauryan polish. Of the pillars erected by Ashoka,
twenty still survive including those with inscriptions of his edicts.
Only a few with animal capitals survive of which seven complete
specimens are known. Two pillars were relocated by Firuz Shah
Tughlaq to Delhi. Several pillars were relocated later by Mughal
Empire rulers, the animal capitals being removed. Averaging
between 12 and 15 m in height, and weighing up to 50 tons each,
the pillars were dragged, sometimes hundreds of miles, to where
they were erected.
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