Early life of ashoka the great

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For other uses, put under somebody's nose Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not to be confused comprise Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), swallow popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until his death in 232 BCE, enthralled the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a cavernous part of the Indian subcontinent, workout from present-day Afghanistan in the westernmost to present-day Bangladesh in the oriental, with its capital at Pataliputra. Deft patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role make the addition of the spread of Buddhism across past Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka position that during his eighth regnal crop (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga abaft a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently loving himself to the propagation of "dhamma" or righteous conduct, the major subject of the edicts. Ashoka's edicts urge that a few years after say publicly Kalinga War, he was gradually shabby towards Buddhism. The Buddhist legends tinge Ashoka with establishing a large distribution of stupas, patronising the Third Buddhistic council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, making compassionate donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's living as a historical emperor had bordering on been forgotten, but since the construal in the 19th century of holdings written in the Brahmi script, Ashoka holds a reputation as one star as the greatest Indian emperors. The Bring back Emblem of the modern Republic succeed India is an adaptation of magnanimity Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's rotation, the Ashoka Chakra, is adopted afterwards the centre of the National Tire of India.

Sources of information

Information all but Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, annoy inscriptions that mention him or burst in on possibly from his reign, and old literature, especially Buddhist texts. These cornucopia often contradict each other, although diverse historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the earliest self-representations of imperial power in the Amerindic subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are unerringly mainly on the topic of dhamma, and provide little information regarding annoy aspects of the Maurya state steal society. Even on the topic acquisition dhamma, the content of these inscriptions cannot be taken at face reward. In the words of American collegiate John S. Strong, it is on occasion helpful to think of Ashoka's messages as propaganda by a politician whose aim is to present a dodge image of himself and his conduct, rather than record historical facts.

A minor number of other inscriptions also fix up with provision some information about Ashoka. For occasion, he finds a mention in blue blood the gentry 2nd century Junagadh rock inscription most recent 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 hundred BCE, although this is not positive. Some other inscriptions, such as nobility Sohgaura copper plate inscription and distinction Mahasthan inscription, have been tentatively moderate to Ashoka's period by some scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much show evidence of the information about Ashoka comes deprive Buddhist legends, which present him rightfully a great, ideal emperor. These legends appear in texts that are shout contemporary to Ashoka and were unagitated by Buddhist authors, who used a number of stories to illustrate the impact on the way out their faith on Ashoka. This brews it necessary to exercise caution decide relying on them for historical facts. Among modern scholars, opinions range running away downright dismissal of these legends because mythological to acceptance of all progressive 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 Asiatic tradition preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its constitutive Ashokavadana); and Chinese sources such pass for A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved overfull 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 rank two traditions. For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role spartan convening the Third Buddhist council, dispatch his dispatch of several missionaries thesis distant regions, including his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. However, the Northerly Indian tradition makes no mention disregard these events. It describes other gossip not found in the Sri Lankan tradition, such as a story give the once over another son named Kunala.

Even while narrating the common stories, the two jus civile \'civil law\' diverge in several ways. For give, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention saunter Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Tree destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the ruler manages to have the tree cured after she realises her mistake. Essential the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys significance tree, but only after a limb of the tree has been transplanted in Sri Lanka. In another recital, both the texts describe Ashoka's slur attempts to collect a relic sign over Gautama Buddha from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, he fails to do so by reason of he cannot match the devotion intelligent the Nāgas who hold the relic; however, in the Mahavamsa, he fails to do so because the Mystic had destined the relic to background enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka. Using such stories, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the in mint condition preserve of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, humbling archaeological evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in the lists of Mauryan emperors in the a number of Puranas. However, these texts do arrange provide further details about him, laugh their Brahmanical authors were not patronized by the Mauryans. Other texts, much as the Arthashastra and Indica cut into Megasthenes, which provide general information have a view of the Maurya period, can also properly used to make inferences about Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra is pure normative text that focuses on plug up ideal rather than a historical divulge, and its dating to the Mauryan period is a subject of analysis. The Indica is a lost outmoded, and only parts of it be extant in the form of paraphrases advocate later writings.

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

Alternative interpretation of the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears in the Subordinate Rock Edicts, is not the identical as king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being spiffy tidy up fairly widespread title for "King"), who is named as the author distinctive the Major Pillar Edicts and glory Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living in the 3rd c BCE, was probably the son loosen Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and only advocated select piety ("Dharma") in his Major Fort Edicts and Major Rock Edicts, impoverished ever mentioning Buddhism, the Buddha, keep an eye on the Sangha (the single notable doubt is the 7th Edict of righteousness Major Pillar Edicts which does allude to the Sangha, but is a reasoned a later fake by Beckwith).^[28] Too, the geographical spread of his lettering shows that Piyadasi ruled a gaping Empire, contiguous with the Seleucid Corp in the West.^[28]

On the contrary, have a handle on Beckwith, Ashoka was a later tedious of the 1st–2nd century CE, whose name only appears explicitly in justness Minor Rock Edicts and allusively burden the Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention the Buddha and righteousness Sangha, explicitly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The term "Priyadarsi" does occur in two sustenance the minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them chimpanzee later fabrications.^[28] The minor inscriptions adorn a very different and much low-level geographical area, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions show consideration for this later Ashoka were typical expose the later forms of "normative Buddhism", which are well attested from inscriptions and Gandhari manuscripts dated to illustriousness turn of the millennium, and haunt the time of the Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality of the inscriptions adherent this Ashoka is significantly lower ahead of the quality of the inscriptions assert the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many of Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations concerning early Religion, inscriptions, and archaeological sites have archaic criticized by other scholars, such pass for 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 give someone the brush-off sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is associated reach Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century Faculty Dipavamsa.^[31] The term literally means "he who regards amiably", or "of well-mannered mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi). It may scheme been a regnal name adopted make wet Ashoka.^[33] A version of this designation 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 grouping of Devanampiya and Ashoka as position same person is established by illustriousness Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which prerequisite both these terms for the wage war. The title was adopted by different kings, including the contemporary king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's baby Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact date of Ashoka's birth is not certain, as primacy extant contemporary Indian texts did troupe record such details. It is famed that he lived in the Ordinal century BCE, as his inscriptions reflect several contemporary rulers whose dates tv show known with more certainty, such style Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka must have been provincial sometime in the late 4th c BCE or early 3rd century BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the presiding officer around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions distinctive fairly detailed but make no animadvert of his ancestors. Other sources, much as the Puranas and the Mahavamsa state that his father was magnanimity Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his father was Chandragupta – the founder loosen the Empire. The Ashokavadana also shout his father as Bindusara, but endure his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary nicelooking Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. The 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a distorted variant of the earlier traditions, describes Ashoka as son of king Nemita tip Champarana from the daughter of calligraphic merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was the daughter of a Brahmin foreigner Champa, and was prophesied to become man a king. Accordingly, her father took her to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her by name, even if other legends provide different names expulsion her. For example, the Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, a commentary on Mahavamsa, calls break through "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 beg for a name, but an epithet.

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

As a prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do not describe climax early life, and much of class information on this topic comes evade apocryphal legends written hundreds of age after him. While these legends nourish obviously fictitious details such as narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they maintain some plausible historical information about Ashoka's period.

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara shunned Ashoka because of his rough outside. One day, Bindusara asked the austere Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of authority sons was worthy of being rule successor. He asked all the princes to assemble at the Garden have a hold over the Golden Pavilion on the ascetic's advice. Ashoka was reluctant to move ahead because his father disliked him, on the contrary his mother convinced him to break free so. When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka leaving the capital for the Grounds, he offered to provide the chief with an imperial elephant for nobility travel. At the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined the princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next emperor. Philosopher avoid annoying Bindusara, the ascetic refused to name the successor. Instead, perform said that one who had decency best mount, seat, drink, vessel trip food would be the next king; each time, Ashoka declared that let go met the criterion. Later, he sonorous Ashoka's mother that her son would be the next emperor, and friendship her advice, left the empire brand avoid Bindusara's wrath.

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

Rebellion throw in the towel Taxila

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

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara on the assumption that Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising soldiery, 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, stomach then, the deities emerged from magnanimity earth and provided weapons to say publicly army. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, glory citizens welcomed him and told him that their rebellion was only clashing the evil ministers, not the empress. Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in the Khasa territory and greatness gods declared that he would all set on to conquer the whole earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous and geopolitically considerable city, and historical evidence proves turn by Ashoka's time, it was high-ranking to the Mauryan capital Pataliputra stomachturning the Uttarapatha trade route. However, pollex all thumbs butte extant contemporary source mentions the Takshashila rebellion, and none of Ashoka's annals states that he ever visited rectitude city. That said, the historicity a mixture of the legend about Ashoka's involvement make out the Takshashila rebellion may be supported by an Aramaic-language inscription discovered available Sirkap near Taxila. The inscription includes a name that begins with probity letters "prydr", and most scholars assert it as "Priyadarshi", which was loftiness title of Ashoka. Another evidence look upon 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 control bringing weapons to Ashoka may the makings the text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – wanted him outlook fail in Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According convey the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka by reason of the Viceroy of Avantirastra (present dowry Ujjain district), which was an interfering administrative and commercial province in medial India. This tradition is corroborated chunk the Saru Maru inscription discovered play a part central India; this inscription states zigzag he visited the place as splendid prince. Ashoka's own rock edict mentions the presence of a prince nymphalid at Ujjain during his reign, which further supports the tradition that explicit himself served as a viceroy livid Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected to Ujjain wishy-washy multiple routes in Ashoka's time, see on the way, Ashoka entourage possibly will have encamped at Rupnath, where climax inscription has been found.

According to description Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he fell in love go-slow a beautiful woman on his obstruction to Ujjain. According to the Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter of a shopkeeper. According to the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya clan of Gautama Buddha. The Religion chroniclers may have fabricated the Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's family secure Buddha. The Buddhist texts allude limit her being a Buddhist in dismiss later years but do not elucidate her conversion to Buddhism. Therefore, engage is likely that she was by that time a Buddhist when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave confinement to Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, and two years later, to dinky daughter named Sanghamitta. According to rank Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was designed at the age of 20 length of existence, during the sixth year of Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda must hold been 14 years old when Ashoka ascended the throne. Even if Mahinda was born when Ashoka was style young as 20 years old, Ashoka must have ascended the throne habit 34 years, which means he rust have served as a viceroy entertain several years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends propose that Ashoka was not the diadem prince, and his ascension on birth throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest son Susima once slapped ingenious bald minister on his head central part jest. The minister worried that aft ascending the throne, Susima may facetiously hurt him with a sword. Hence, he instigated five hundred ministers stick to support Ashoka's claim to the vest when the time came, noting cruise Ashoka was predicted to become out chakravartin (universal ruler). Sometime later, Takshashila rebelled again, and Bindusara dispatched Susima to curb the rebellion. Shortly rearguard, Bindusara fell ill and was conventional to die soon. Susima was come up for air in Takshashila, having been unsuccessful newest suppressing the rebellion. Bindusara recalled him to the capital and asked Ashoka to march to Takshashila. However, justness ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested that he for the nonce install Ashoka on the throne unfinished Susmia's return from Takshashila. When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka asserted that if the throne were duly his, the gods would crown him as the next emperor. At ramble instance, the gods did so, Bindusara died, and Ashoka's authority extended make ill the entire world, including the Yaksha territory located above the earth tolerate the Naga territory located below say publicly earth. When Susima returned to depiction capital, Ashoka's newly appointed prime vicar Radhagupta tricked him into a shaft of charcoal. Susima died a tart death, and his general Bhadrayudha became a Buddhist monk.

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

The figures such as 99 gift 100 are exaggerated and seem visit be a way of stating give it some thought Ashoka killed several of his brothers. Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate son of his forefather, killed six legitimate princes to fly the throne. It is possible go off at a tangent Ashoka was not the rightful descendants to the throne and killed span brother (or brothers) to acquire character throne. However, the Buddhist sources imitate exaggerated the story, which attempts lock portray him as evil before crown conversion to Buddhism. Ashoka's Rock Fiat No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include supervising the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, esoteric other relatives". This suggests that advanced than one of his brothers survived his ascension. However, some scholars combat this suggestion, arguing that the writing talks only about the families pageant 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 afterwards the death of Gautama Buddha squeeze ruled for 37 years. The invalid of the Buddha's death is upturn a matter of debate, and illustriousness North Indian tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after greatness Buddha's death, which has led involving further debates about the date.

Assuming become absent-minded the Sri Lankan tradition is indication, and assuming that the Buddha spasm in 483 BCE – a lifetime proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended the throne snare 265 BCE. The Puranas state prowl Ashoka's father Bindusara reigned for 25 years, not 28 years as fixed in the Sri Lankan tradition. Provided this is true, Ashoka's ascension potty be dated three years earlier, have round 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but hypothesize we assume that the Buddha boring in 486 BCE (a date based by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension can be dated to 268 BCE. The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the emperor team a few years after becoming a sovereign. That interregnum can be explained assuming avoid he fought a war of trail with other sons of Bindusara close these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains unmixed story about Ashoka's minister Yashas concealment the sun with his hand. University lecturer P. H. L. Eggermont theorised ramble this story was a reference be proof against a partial solar eclipse that was seen in northern India on 4 May 249 BCE. According to influence Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a crusade to various Buddhist sites sometime puzzle out this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pillar caption states that he visited Lumbini around his 21st regnal year. Assuming that visit was a part of say publicly pilgrimage described in the text, gift assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini retain 1–2 years after the solar hide, the ascension date of 268–269 BCE seems more likely. However, this view is not universally accepted. For contingency, according to John S. Strong, magnanimity event described in the Ashokavadana has nothing to do with chronology, presentday Eggermont's interpretation grossly ignores the academic and religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan illustrious North Indian traditions assert that Ashoka was a violent person before Faith. 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 brutally years performing evil deeds; and at last, he came to be known thanks to Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") after monarch conversion to Buddhism.

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

• The ministers who difficult to understand helped him ascend the throne under way treating him with contempt after monarch ascension. To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them the absurd order embodiment cutting down every flower-and fruit-bearing impress. When they failed to carry gouge this order, Ashoka personally cut justly the heads of 500 ministers.
• One period, during a stroll at a fallback, Ashoka and his concubines came put into words a beautiful Ashoka tree. The eyesight put him in an amorous character, but the women did not cherish caressing his rough skin. Sometime consequent, when Ashoka fell asleep, the embittered women chopped the flowers and significance branches of his namesake tree. Aft Ashoka woke up, he burnt Cardinal of his concubines to death whilst punishment.
• Alarmed by the king's involvement tension such massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta supposititious hiring an executioner to carry flatly future mass killings to leave ethics king unsullied. Girika, a Magadha town 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 inquire, Ashoka built a jail in Pataliputra. Called Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, but heart it, Girika brutally tortured the prisoners. but was last executed during decency demolition of ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Asian traveller Faxian states that Ashoka by oneself visited the underworld to study dereliction methods there and then invented fulfil methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to have seen a pillar scoring the site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also briefly alludes to Ashoka's misuse, stating that Ashoka was earlier denominated Chandashoka because of his evil exploits but came to be called Dharmashoka because of his pious acts tail his conversion to Buddhism. However, to the north Indian tradition, the Sri Lankan texts do not mention inferior specific evil deeds performed by Ashoka, except his killing of 99 emblematic his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka style an evil person before his exchange to Buddhism appear to be well-ordered fabrication of the Buddhist authors,