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ASHOKA THE GREAT300BCE – 232BCE
By : Praveen A Gondhali
ASHOKA THE GREAT
INTRODUCTIONThe high point of the
Mauryan empire Conquered the kingdom of
Kalinga, 260 BC.Ruled through tightly
organized bureaucracy Established capital at
Pataliputra Policies of encouraging
agriculture and trade Dedicated his life to
Buddhism.Built Extensive roads.Conflict How to balance
Kautilya’s method of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?
CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA ( FOUNDER & GRANDFATHER OF ASHOKA)
BINDUSARA (Second king & father of Ashoka )
ASHOKA THE EMPEROR ( Third king )
MAURYA DYNASTY
CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA
Founder of Mauryan Dynasty in 322 BC.
Gained power shortly after Alexander’s death.
Was crowned king at Taxila.
Had capital at Patliputra.
His minister Chanakya wrote Arthashastra.
CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA
Arthashastra
CHANAKYA
ASHOKA BELONG TO MAURYAN DYNASTY
HE IS THE THIRD KING OF MAURYAN DYNASTY
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
BIRTH OF ASHOKA REIGN BEGINS MARRIAGE CONVERSION DEATH IN
TO BUDDHISM
300 272 284 263 232BCE BCE BCE BCE BCE
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -
TIME LINE
PERSONAL INFORMATION Quickly grew into an excellent warrior
His command on the mauryan army started growing day by
day
His elder brothers became suspicious of him being
favoured as the next emperor.
The eldest son of bindusara, prince susima, convinced him
to send asoka to takshashila
Went to kalinga, where he met a fisherwoman named
kaurwaki.
RISE TO POWER Ashoka was stationed at ujjayini as governor.
Bindusara's death in 273 bc led to a war over
succession
Ashoka was supported by his father's ministers.
Ashoka managed to become the king by getting
rid of the legitimate heir to the throne
THE KALINGA WAR
AFTER THE KALINGA WAR
LEGACY OF ASHOKA
ASHOKA THE GREAT PART - I
ASHOKA THE GREAT PART - I
Conquest of Kalinga
Ashoka’s reign as emperor began with a series of wars.
He conquered more lands and added them to his empire.
The Kalinga War of 260BC was the worst of all.
KALINGA WAR
KALINGA WAR
The huge loss of life and suffering witnessed on the battlefield made him turn away from war.
So he was deeply influenced by Buddhism, and adopted the dharma principles.
A change of heart
Began in the 8th year of Ashoka's reign, probably in 261
BC
After a bloody battle, Ashoka tried to annex kalinga
In the aftermath of the battle of kalinga the daya river
running next to the battle field turned red with the blood of
the slain
100,000 kalinga civilians and more than 10,000 of
ashoka's own warriors were among those slain
Continued.....
After the battle in a tour of city, he could see nothing except burnt houses and scattered corpses.
This sight made him sick and he cried the famous monologue:
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? Do 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?
A Sudden Change of Heart
• The mammoth loss of life and suffering witnessed on
the battlefield made him turn away from war
• He felt that he was the cause of the destruction
• His queen, Devi, who was a Buddhist, left him after
seeing the brutality at Kalinga
• Ashoka realized the consequences of wars and battles
Continued…
AFTER THE KALINGA WAR
ASHOKA THE GREAT PART – I I
Dharma Principles
Spread of Buddhism
Ashoka the Administrator
AFTER KALING WAR
The main principals of dharma. Non violence. Tolerance of all sects. Obedience to parents. Respects for Brahmans, teachers & priests. Liberality towards friends. Humane treatment of servants.
THE DHARMA PRINCIPAL
Ashoka built shrines and monasteries and inscribed Buddhist teaching on rocks and pillars in many places.
He sent missionaries to countries. His own son Kunal became a monk &
carried Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
Kashmir-Gandhara Majjhantika
Mahisamandala (Mysore) - Mahadeva
Vanavasi (Tamil Nadu) - Rakkhita
Maharattha (Maharashtra) - Mahadhammarakkhita
"Country of the Yona" (Bactria/ Seleucid Empire)
- Maharakkhita Himavanta
(Nepal) - Majjhima
Suvannabhumi (Thailand/ Myanmar) - Sona and Uttara
Lankadipa (Sri Lanka) - Mahamahinda
Aparantaka (Gujarat and Sindh) - Yona Dhammarakkhita
He sent his missionaries to the following places:
Missions to Spread Buddhism
Ashoka taught and convinced people to love and respect all living things.
He insisted the on the recognition of the sancity of all human life.
He abolished the the unnecessary slaughter or mutilation of animals.
Ashoka banned sport hunting and thus protected wildlife.
He became vegetarian & most people chose to become vegetarians on their own.
ASHOKA THE ADMINISTRATOR
PART – III LEGACIES OF ASHOKA
ASHOKA THE GREAT
* SYMBOLIC LEGACY
* BOLLYWOOD LEGACY
LEGACIES OF ASHOKA
ASHOKAN PILLAR
Indian government has adopted the famous lion capital from his pillar at Sarnath as official national emblem.
SYMBOLIC LEGACY
INDIAN FLAG
After Ashoka’s death in 232 BCE the people of India decided to commemorate Ashoka by using his personal chakra. It can still be seen today on the Indian flag.
The word chakra is sanskrit and it means cycle or a repeting process.
INDIAN FLAG
ASHOK CHAKRA
The Edicts of King Ashoka The Rock Edicts -
THE FOURTEEN ROCK EDICTSKALINGA ROCK EDICTSMINOR ROCK EDICTSTHE SEVEN PILLAR EDICTSMINOR PILLAR EDICTS
The pillars of Ashoka were erected by him during his reign in the 3rd century BCThe Stupas of Sanchi are world famous and the stupa named SanchiStupa was built by Emperor AshokaAshoka's own words as known from his Edicts are:
"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”.
ROCK EDICTS OF AHOKA
Elephant at Kalinga war site-Orissa
Minor Rock Edict site- Madhya Pradesh
Rock Edict at Junagadh Major Rock Edict at Girnar, Gujarat
DEATH & LEGACY Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years
He had numerous wives and many heirs but most of their
name are lost
He had entrusted to Mahindra and Sanghamitra the job of
making his state religion
Ashoka died in 232 BC
After his death, the Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more
years
CONCLUSIONRight from his childhood days Ashoka showed great promise in the field of weaponry skills as well as academics Although Ashoka was known as Cruel Ashoka but He felt that he was the cause of the destruction which made him turn away from war and adopt BuddhismIn fact, he can be credited with making the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy. Buddhism received a significant boost of popularity when Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Throughout his life, 'Asoka the Great' followed the policy of nonviolence He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and renovating major roads throughout India. After this transformation, Ashoka came to be known as Dhammashoka Ashoka tried to make the lives better and Ashoka is honored today
BIBLIOGRAPHY