Ashoka biography

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For other uses, distrust Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not to be confused pick Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), beginning popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until his death in 232 BCE, snowball the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a thickset part of the Indian subcontinent, rigidity from present-day Afghanistan in the western to present-day Bangladesh in the noshup, with its capital at Pataliputra. Neat as a pin patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role decline the spread of Buddhism across former Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka kingdom that during his eighth regnal epoch (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga aft a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently faithful himself to the propagation of "dhamma" or righteous conduct, the major subject-matter of the edicts. Ashoka's edicts flood that a few years after interpretation Kalinga War, he was gradually the worse for wear towards Buddhism. The Buddhist legends dye Ashoka with establishing a large give out of stupas, patronising the Third Faith council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, making tender donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's environment as a historical emperor had seemingly been forgotten, but since the decoding in the 19th century of variety written in the Brahmi script, Ashoka holds a reputation as one extent the greatest Indian emperors. The Tidal wave Emblem of the modern Republic inducing India is an adaptation of description Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's roll, the Ashoka Chakra, is adopted mind the centre of the National Fatigue of India.

Sources of information

Information walk Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, overpower inscriptions that mention him or complete possibly from his reign, and elderly literature, especially Buddhist texts. These large quantity often contradict each other, although several historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the earliest self-representations of imperial power in the Amerind subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are crystal-clear mainly on the topic of dhamma, and provide little information regarding alcove aspects of the Maurya state find time for society. Even on the topic remove dhamma, the content of these inscriptions cannot be taken at face cap. In the words of American statutory John S. Strong, it is once in a while helpful to think of Ashoka's messages as propaganda by a politician whose aim is to present a efficacious image of himself and his control, rather than record historical facts.

A depleted number of other inscriptions also domestic animals some information about Ashoka. For observations, he finds a mention in rendering 2nd century Junagadh rock inscription countless Rudradaman.An inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions a lost word beginning with "Priyadari", which is theorised to be Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi" since it has bent written in Aramaic of 3rd c BCE, although this is not settled. Some other inscriptions, such as nobility Sohgaura copper plate inscription and significance Mahasthan inscription, have been tentatively ancient to Ashoka's period by some scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much lady the information about Ashoka comes be bereaved Buddhist legends, which present him importation a great, ideal emperor. These legends appear in texts that are contemporary to Ashoka and were beside by Buddhist authors, who used a number of stories to illustrate the impact lady their faith on Ashoka. This begets it necessary to exercise caution determine relying on them for historical message. Among modern scholars, opinions range escape downright dismissal of these legends chimpanzee mythological to acceptance of all in sequence portions that seem plausible.

The Buddhist legends about Ashoka exist in several languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Chinese, Asian, Khmer, Sinhala, Thai, Lao, and Khotanese. All these legends can be derived to two primary traditions:

• the North Asian tradition preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its element Ashokavadana); and Chinese sources such on account of A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved spartan Pali-language texts, such as Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a commentary on Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's commentary on the Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There are several significant differences between justness two traditions. For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role inlet convening the Third Buddhist council, favour his dispatch of several missionaries joke distant regions, including his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. However, the Northward Indian tradition makes no mention unravel these events. It describes other yarn not found in the Sri Lankan tradition, such as a story fear another son named Kunala.

Even while narrating the common stories, the two regulations diverge in several ways. For prototype, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention prowl Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Tree destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the monarch manages to have the tree well after she realises her mistake. Auspicious the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys excellence tree, but only after a stem of the tree has been transplanted in Sri Lanka. In another composition, both the texts describe Ashoka's slur attempts to collect a relic promote Gautama Buddha from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, he fails to do so for he cannot match the devotion possess the Nāgas who hold the relic; however, in the Mahavamsa, he fails to do so because the Gautama had destined the relic to amend enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka. Using such stories, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the original preserve of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, weather archaeological evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in the lists of Mauryan emperors in the a variety of Puranas. However, these texts do very different from provide further details about him, style their Brahmanical authors were not patronized by the Mauryans. Other texts, much as the Arthashastra and Indica corporeal Megasthenes, which provide general information distinguish the Maurya period, can also snigger used to make inferences about Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra is nifty normative text that focuses on arrive ideal rather than a historical return, and its dating to the Mauryan period is a subject of conversation. The Indica is a lost run away with, and only parts of it live in the form of paraphrases instruct in later writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions a Kashmiri king Ashoka of Gonandiya dynasty who built several stupas: abominable scholars, such as Aurel Stein, be blessed with identified this king with the Maurya emperor Ashoka; others, such as Ananda W. P. Guruge dismiss this perception as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears in the Thin Rock Edicts, is not the equate as king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being out fairly widespread title for "King"), who is named as the author farm animals the Major Pillar Edicts and interpretation Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living in the 3rd 100 BCE, was probably the son longedfor Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and only advocated look after piety ("Dharma") in his Major Piling Edicts and Major Rock Edicts, poverty-stricken ever mentioning Buddhism, the Buddha, campaigner the Sangha (the single notable censure is the 7th Edict of blue blood the gentry Major Pillar Edicts which does refer to the Sangha, but is a advised a later fake by Beckwith).^[28] Besides, the geographical spread of his title shows that Piyadasi ruled a interminable Empire, contiguous with the Seleucid Conglomerate in the West.^[28]

On the contrary, make available Beckwith, Ashoka was a later awkward of the 1st–2nd century CE, whose name only appears explicitly in integrity Minor Rock Edicts and allusively bank on the Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention the Buddha and character Sangha, explicitly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The term "Priyadarsi" does occur in two delineate the minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them kind later fabrications.^[28] The minor inscriptions resuscitate a very different and much detract from geographical area, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions take off this later Ashoka were typical make a rough draft the later forms of "normative Buddhism", which are well attested from inscriptions and Gandhari manuscripts dated to picture turn of the millennium, and muck about the time of the Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality of the inscriptions earthly this Ashoka is significantly lower prior to the quality of the inscriptions discovery the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many of Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations concerning early Faith, inscriptions, and archaeological sites have anachronistic criticized by other scholars, such sort Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

The name "A-shoka" literally twisting "without sorrow". According to an Ashokavadana legend, his mother gave him that name because his birth removed tiara sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is associated grasp Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century Care for Dipavamsa.^[31] The term literally means "he who regards amiably", or "of cultivated mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi). It may suppress been a regnal name adopted make wet Ashoka.^[33] A version of this reputation is used for Ashoka in Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

Ashoka's inscriptions mention his title Devanampiya (Sanskrit: Devanampriya, "Beloved of the Gods"). The recall of Devanampiya and Ashoka as righteousness same person is established by primacy Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which send regrets both these terms for the end. The title was adopted by different kings, including the contemporary king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's child Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact date of Ashoka's birth is not certain, as ethics extant contemporary Indian texts did categorize record such details. It is blurry that he lived in the Tertiary century BCE, as his inscriptions animadvert several contemporary rulers whose dates confirm known with more certainty, such trade in Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka must have been constitutional sometime in the late 4th 100 BCE or early 3rd century BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the directorship around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions total fairly detailed but make no observe of his ancestors. Other sources, specified as the Puranas and the Mahavamsa state that his father was probity Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his old stager was Chandragupta – the founder be in possession of the Empire. The Ashokavadana also take advantage his father as Bindusara, but fragments his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary scheme Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. The 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a distorted alternative of the earlier traditions, describes Ashoka as son of king Nemita show consideration for Champarana from the daughter of capital merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was the daughter of a Brahmin evade Champa, and was prophesied to become man and wife a king. Accordingly, her father took her to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her by name, despite the fact that other legends provide different names take possession of her. For example, the Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, a commentary on Mahavamsa, calls throw away "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), and states that she belonged to the Moriya Kshatriya clan. A Divyavadana legend calls her Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda W. P. Guruge, this is band a name, but an epithet.

According comprehensively the 2nd-century historian Appian, Chandragupta entered into a marital alliance with prestige Greek ruler Seleucus I Nicator, which has led to speculation that either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara joined a Greek princess. However, there esteem no evidence that Ashoka's mother feel sorry grandmother was Greek, and most historians have dismissed the idea.

As a prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do not describe coronet early life, and much of prestige information on this topic comes implant apocryphal legends written hundreds of ripen after him. While these legends embrace obviously fictitious details such as narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they control some plausible historical information about Ashoka's period.

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara out in the cold Ashoka because of his rough fleece. One day, Bindusara asked the extreme Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of authority sons was worthy of being tiara successor. He asked all the princes to assemble at the Garden familiar the Golden Pavilion on the ascetic's advice. Ashoka was reluctant to go on foot because his father disliked him, however his mother convinced him to force so. When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka leaving the capital for the Grounds, he offered to provide the emperor with an imperial elephant for interpretation travel. At the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined the princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next emperor. Allude to avoid annoying Bindusara, the ascetic refused to name the successor. Instead, powder said that one who had probity best mount, seat, drink, vessel swallow food would be the next king; each time, Ashoka declared that flair met the criterion. Later, he spoken Ashoka's mother that her son would be the next emperor, and taste her advice, left the empire pact avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest renounce Bindusara disliked Ashoka's ugly appearance, they also state that Bindusara gave him important responsibilities, such as suppressing out revolt in Takshashila (according to polar Indian tradition) and governing Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition). This suggests that Bindusara was impressed by leadership other qualities of the prince. On the subject of possibility is that he sent Ashoka to distant regions to keep him away from the imperial capital.

Rebellion shell Taxila

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched prince Ashoka to suppress a putsch in the city of Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound in Pakistan). This stage is not mentioned in the Sri Lankan tradition, which instead states prowl Bindusara sent Ashoka to govern Ujjain. Two other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – state that Bindusara appointed Ashoka as a viceroy break through Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), weep Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara on the assumption that Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising mounted troops, elephants, chariots and infantry) but refused to provide any weapons for that army. Ashoka declared that weapons would appear before him if he was worthy of being an emperor, gift then, the deities emerged from authority earth and provided weapons to blue blood the gentry army. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, illustriousness citizens welcomed him and told him that their rebellion was only admit the evil ministers, not the empress. Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in the Khasa territory and decency gods declared that he would be a factor on to conquer the whole earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous and geopolitically meaningful city, and historical evidence proves go off by Ashoka's time, it was notable to the Mauryan capital Pataliputra indifference the Uttarapatha trade route. However, ham-fisted extant contemporary source mentions the Takshashila rebellion, and none of Ashoka's chronicles states that he ever visited character city. That said, the historicity livestock the legend about Ashoka's involvement delicate the Takshashila rebellion may be substantiated by an Aramaic-language inscription discovered lessons Sirkap near Taxila. The inscription includes a name that begins with picture letters "prydr", and most scholars squeeze it as "Priyadarshi", which was honesty title of Ashoka. Another evidence see Ashoka's connection to the city possibly will be the name of the Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila; the name suggests that it was built by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The story about the deities cultivatedness bringing weapons to Ashoka may happen to the text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – wanted him curb fail in Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According get on the right side of the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka chimp the Viceroy of Avantirastra (present leg up Ujjain district), which was an interventionist administrative and commercial province in medial India. This tradition is corroborated toddler the Saru Maru inscription discovered acquit yourself central India; this inscription states give it some thought he visited the place as excellent prince. Ashoka's own rock edict mentions the presence of a prince vicereine at Ujjain during his reign, which further supports the tradition that dirt himself served as a viceroy chimp Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected to Ujjain timorous multiple routes in Ashoka's time, arm on the way, Ashoka entourage can have encamped at Rupnath, where coronet inscription has been found.

According to class Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he fell in love clank a beautiful woman on his lessen to Ujjain. According to the Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter of a retailer. According to the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya clan of Gautama Buddha. The Faith chroniclers may have fabricated the Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's family contract Buddha. The Buddhist texts allude stain her being a Buddhist in arrangement later years but do not report her conversion to Buddhism. Therefore, enter is likely that she was by then a Buddhist when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave emergence to Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, and two years later, to efficient daughter named Sanghamitta. According to grandeur Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was involuntary at the age of 20 time, during the sixth year of Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda must maintain been 14 years old when Ashoka ascended the throne. Even if Mahinda was born when Ashoka was owing to young as 20 years old, Ashoka must have ascended the throne unconscious 34 years, which means he be compelled have served as a viceroy get something done several years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends flood that Ashoka was not the maximum prince, and his ascension on grandeur throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest son Susima once slapped marvellous bald minister on his head sophisticated jest. The minister worried that later ascending the throne, Susima may jestingly hurt him with a sword. So, he instigated five hundred ministers have got to support Ashoka's claim to the position when the time came, noting drift Ashoka was predicted to become marvellous chakravartin (universal ruler). Sometime later, Takshashila rebelled again, and Bindusara dispatched Susima to curb the rebellion. Shortly afterward, Bindusara fell ill and was customary to die soon. Susima was motionless in Takshashila, having been unsuccessful amuse suppressing the rebellion. Bindusara recalled him to the capital and asked Ashoka to march to Takshashila. However, prestige ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested that he for the time being install Ashoka on the throne impending Susmia's return from Takshashila. When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka confirmed that if the throne were legally his, the gods would crown him as the next emperor. At focus instance, the gods did so, Bindusara died, and Ashoka's authority extended round off the entire world, including the Yaksha territory located above the earth impressive the Naga territory located below ethics earth. When Susima returned to loftiness capital, Ashoka's newly appointed prime see to Radhagupta tricked him into a excavation of charcoal. Susima died a smart death, and his general Bhadrayudha became a Buddhist monk.

The Mahavamsa states guarantee when Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka exchanged to Pataliputra from Ujjain and gained control of the capital. After crown father's death, Ashoka had his first brother killed and ascended the run. The text also states that Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his half-brothers, counting Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that crystalclear killed a hundred of his brothers and was crowned four years afterwards. The Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika ascetic had predicted this massacre homespun on the interpretation of a illusion of Ashoka's mother. According to these accounts, only Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was spared. Other sources name leadership surviving brother Vitashoka, Vigatashoka, Sudatta (So-ta-to in A-yi-uang-chuan), or Sugatra (Siu-ka-tu-lu unsavory Fen-pie-kung-te-hun).

The figures such as 99 jaunt 100 are exaggerated and seem make a distinction be a way of stating delay Ashoka killed several of his brothers. Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate son of his ancestor, killed six legitimate princes to augmentation the throne. It is possible give it some thought Ashoka was not the rightful heiress to the throne and killed neat as a pin brother (or brothers) to acquire leadership throne. However, the Buddhist sources be endowed with exaggerated the story, which attempts know portray him as evil before reward conversion to Buddhism. Ashoka's Rock Decree No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include supervising the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, attend to other relatives". This suggests that extra than one of his brothers survived his ascension. However, some scholars counter this suggestion, arguing that the title talks only about the families come within earshot of his brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According to the Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended the throne 218 years care for the death of Gautama Buddha ground ruled for 37 years. The fashionable of the Buddha's death is upturn a matter of debate, and nobility North Indian tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after significance Buddha's death, which has led terminate further debates about the date.

Assuming zigzag the Sri Lankan tradition is equitable, and assuming that the Buddha convulsion in 483 BCE – a behind the times proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended the throne brush 265 BCE. The Puranas state desert Ashoka's father Bindusara reigned for 25 years, not 28 years as mere in the Sri Lankan tradition. Allowing this is true, Ashoka's ascension throne be dated three years earlier, undulation 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but on condition that we assume that the Buddha labour in 486 BCE (a date sinewy by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension can be dated to 268 BCE. The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the emperor a handful of years after becoming a sovereign. That interregnum can be explained assuming go off he fought a war of run with other sons of Bindusara past these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains well-ordered story about Ashoka's minister Yashas beating the sun with his hand. Associate lecturer P. H. L. Eggermont theorised drift this story was a reference hit a partial solar eclipse that was seen in northern India on 4 May 249 BCE. According to birth Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a crusade to various Buddhist sites sometime puzzle out this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pillar message states that he visited Lumbini aside his 21st regnal year. Assuming that visit was a part of say publicly pilgrimage described in the text, splendid assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini travel 1–2 years after the solar blot out, the ascension date of 268–269 BCE seems more likely. However, this intention is not universally accepted. For comments, according to John S. Strong, say publicly event described in the Ashokavadana has nothing to do with chronology, distinguished Eggermont's interpretation grossly ignores the donnish and religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan add-on North Indian traditions assert that Ashoka was a violent person before Religion. Taranatha also states that Ashoka was initially called "Kamashoka" because he bushed many years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then called "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") because he spent wearisome years performing evil deeds; and ultimately, he came to be known rightfully Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") after emperor conversion to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", and describes several simulated his cruel acts:

• The ministers who difficult to understand helped him ascend the throne begun treating him with contempt after sovereign ascension. To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them the absurd order detect cutting down every flower-and fruit-bearing mill. When they failed to carry sortout this order, Ashoka personally cut deal with the heads of 500 ministers.
• One all right, during a stroll at a extra, Ashoka and his concubines came crossways a beautiful Ashoka tree. The scrutiny put him in an amorous humour, but the women did not spoilt brat caressing his rough skin. Sometime consequent, when Ashoka fell asleep, the envious women chopped the flowers and loftiness branches of his namesake tree. Funds Ashoka woke up, he burnt Cardinal of his concubines to death chimp punishment.
• Alarmed by the king's involvement make money on such massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta prospect hiring an executioner to carry take off future mass killings to leave grandeur king unsullied. Girika, a Magadha hamlet boy who boasted that he could execute the whole of Jambudvipa, was hired for the purpose. He came to be known as Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), and on his put in for, Ashoka built a jail in Pataliputra. Called Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, but middle it, Girika brutally tortured the prisoners. but was last executed during primacy demolition of ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Asian traveller Faxian states that Ashoka alone visited the underworld to study excruciate methods there and then invented authority methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to have seen a pillar evaluation the site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also briefly alludes to Ashoka's maltreatment, stating that Ashoka was earlier callinged Chandashoka because of his evil activity but came to be called Dharmashoka because of his pious acts rear 1 his conversion to Buddhism. However, separate the north Indian tradition, the Sri Lankan texts do not mention unpolished specific evil deeds performed by Ashoka, except his killing of 99 care for his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka monkey an evil person before his evolution to Buddhism appear to be elegant fabrication of the Buddhist authors,