Aśoka
Aśoka
303 av. J.-C. — 231 av. J.-C.
Empire Maurya
Emperor of the Maurya dynasty in the 3rd century BCE, Aśoka unified nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. Devastated by the massacres of the Kalinga War, he converted to Buddhism and governed according to the principles of non-violence and dharma.
Key Facts
- Around 268 BCE: Aśoka ascends to the throne of the Maurya Empire
- 261 BCE: The Kalinga War — approximately 100,000 deaths, which triggers his conversion to Buddhism
- After 261 BCE: Promulgation of the Edicts of Aśoka, inscribed on rocks and pillars throughout the empire
- He sends Buddhist missionaries to Central Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Sri Lanka
- 231 BCE: Death of Aśoka; the Maurya Empire declines rapidly after him
Works & Achievements
A set of fourteen major edicts inscribed on rock faces across the empire. They represent the earliest written documents in Indian history and lay out Aśoka's policy of dharma.
Seven edicts engraved on monolithic columns erected at strategic points throughout the empire. They clarify and expand upon the moral principles set out in the rock edicts.
A pillar crowned with a capital featuring four back-to-back lions surrounding a dharma wheel, considered a masterpiece of Mauryan art. It became the national emblem of the Republic of India in 1950.
A Buddhist monument enlarged under Aśoka around a brick core housing relics of the Buddha. It is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The dispatch of religious delegations to Ceylon, Central Asia, Syria, Egypt, and Macedonia. This initiative is considered the origin of the spread of Theravāda Buddhism throughout Southeast Asia.
Anecdotes
After the Battle of Kalinga around 261 BCE, Aśoka surveyed a battlefield strewn with 100,000 dead and countless deportees. Overcome by profound sorrow, he declared in an edict carved into rock: 'What was a conquest is now for King Priyadarśin a source of intense grief.' This moment of reckoning transformed him utterly.
Aśoka had his laws and moral principles engraved on rocks and stone pillars erected throughout his empire. Written in several local languages, these edicts are the earliest written documents in Indian history and stand as an extraordinary testament to Buddhist governance.
According to Buddhist tradition, Aśoka sent diplomatic and religious missions as far as Egypt, Syria, Macedonia, and Ceylon to spread the Buddha's teachings. His son Mahinda and daughter Saṃghamittā are said to have introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Aśoka ordered trees planted and wells dug along the roads of his empire for the benefit of travelers and animals alike. He established hospitals for both humans and animals — an initiative unparalleled in the ancient world — reflecting a vision of the state founded on care for all living beings.
The emperor took the title 'Priyadarśin,' meaning 'he who looks upon all with kindness.' He gave up royal hunting and meat banquets, adopting a vegetarian diet out of respect for animal life, in keeping with the Buddhist principle of non-violence (ahiṃsā).
Primary Sources
When King Priyadarśin had conquered the country of Kalinga, he felt deep remorse. For the conquest of an independent country brings massacre, death, and deportation. All of this is today a source of profound grief for King Priyadarśin.
Throughout my empire, I have established dispensaries for both humans and animals. Medicinal herbs beneficial to humans and animals have been imported and planted wherever they were lacking.
For more than two and a half years I have been a devoted disciple of the Buddha. More than a year has passed since I joined the community and became actively engaged.
Throughout the territories of King Priyadarśin, as well as in neighboring lands — the Cholas, Pāṇḍyas, Satiyaputra, Keralaputra, and as far as Ceylon — the king has made medical provisions for the welfare of both humans and animals.
No monk or nun may cause a schism in the community. Whoever, whether monk or nun, causes a schism in the community must be made to wear white robes and be placed in a dwelling that is not a monastery.
Key Places
Capital of the Maurya Empire and the administrative and cultural center of Aśoka's reign. It was here that the Third Buddhist Council was held around 250 BCE.
A coastal region conquered by Aśoka around 261 BCE at the cost of enormous bloodshed. It was this battlefield that triggered his conversion to Buddhism and transformed his policies.
The site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon. Aśoka erected a pillar here topped with four lions, which became the national emblem of modern India.
The birthplace of the Buddha Śākyamuni. Aśoka made a pilgrimage here around 249 BCE and erected an inscribed pillar marking his visit, which is still visible today.
Site of the great Buddhist stūpa, enlarged during Aśoka's reign. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the best-preserved Buddhist monuments in India.