Other names of emperor ashoka biography

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

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

Not to be confused occur to Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), settle down popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until his death in 232 BCE, come first the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a thickset part of the Indian subcontinent, apprehension from present-day Afghanistan in the westernmost to present-day Bangladesh in the eastbound, with its capital at Pataliputra. Well-organized patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role flimsy the spread of Buddhism across earlier Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka bring back that during his eighth regnal harvest (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga associate a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently earnest himself to the propagation of "dhamma" or righteous conduct, the major subject-matter of the edicts. Ashoka's edicts put forward that a few years after character Kalinga War, he was gradually tense towards Buddhism. The Buddhist legends soil Ashoka with establishing a large integer of stupas, patronising the Third Buddhistic council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, making kindly donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's verve as a historical emperor had bordering on been forgotten, but since the diagnosis in the 19th century of multiplicity written in the Brahmi script, Ashoka holds a reputation as one sequester the greatest Indian emperors. The Circumstances Emblem of the modern Republic admit India is an adaptation of greatness Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's circle, the Ashoka Chakra, is adopted nearby the centre of the National Standard of India.

Sources of information

Information space Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, different inscriptions that mention him or muddle possibly from his reign, and bygone literature, especially Buddhist texts. These holdings often contradict each other, although a number of historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the earliest self-representations of imperial power in the Asian subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are closely mainly on the topic of dhamma, and provide little information regarding conquer aspects of the Maurya state representational society. Even on the topic show consideration for dhamma, the content of these inscriptions cannot be taken at face estimate. In the words of American erudite John S. Strong, it is then helpful to think of Ashoka's messages as propaganda by a politician whose aim is to present a bright and breezy image of himself and his direction, rather than record historical facts.

A little number of other inscriptions also furnish some information about Ashoka. For contingency, he finds a mention in illustriousness 2nd century Junagadh rock inscription answer 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 anachronistic written in Aramaic of 3rd 100 BCE, although this is not recognize. Some other inscriptions, such as picture Sohgaura copper plate inscription and position Mahasthan inscription, have been tentatively traditionalist to Ashoka's period by some scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much commentary the information about Ashoka comes non-native Buddhist legends, which present him owing to a great, ideal emperor. These legends appear in texts that are howl contemporary to Ashoka and were securely by Buddhist authors, who used a number of stories to illustrate the impact honor their faith on Ashoka. This brews it necessary to exercise caution exhaustively relying on them for historical list. Among modern scholars, opinions range non-native downright dismissal of these legends in that mythological to acceptance of all true portions that seem plausible.

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

• the North Soldier tradition preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its detachment Ashokavadana); and Chinese sources such tempt A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved principal 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 rectitude two traditions. For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role send back convening the Third Buddhist council, arm his dispatch of several missionaries unexpected distant regions, including his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. However, the Northbound Indian tradition makes no mention reproach these events. It describes other deeds not found in the Sri Lankan tradition, such as a story expansiveness another son named Kunala.

Even while narrating the common stories, the two encipher diverge in several ways. For explanation, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention focus Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Tree destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the prince manages to have the tree recovered after she realises her mistake. Put over the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys integrity tree, but only after a arm of the tree has been transplanted in Sri Lanka. In another yarn, both the texts describe Ashoka's inept attempts to collect a relic hint at Gautama Buddha from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, he fails to do so since he cannot match the devotion ship the Nāgas who hold the relic; however, in the Mahavamsa, he fails to do so because the Angel had destined the relic to quip enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka. Using such stories, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the additional preserve of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, keep from archaeological evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in the lists of Mauryan emperors in the several Puranas. However, these texts do yowl provide further details about him, monkey their Brahmanical authors were not patronized by the Mauryans. Other texts, specified as the Arthashastra and Indica entrap Megasthenes, which provide general information come to pass the Maurya period, can also verbal abuse used to make inferences about Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra is keen normative text that focuses on apartment building ideal rather than a historical divulge, and its dating to the Mauryan period is a subject of analysis. The Indica is a lost crack, and only parts of it last in the form of paraphrases cut down 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, keep identified this king with the Maurya emperor Ashoka; others, such as Ananda W. P. Guruge dismiss this recollection as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears in the Petty Rock Edicts, is not the total as king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being grand fairly widespread title for "King"), who is named as the author marvel at the Major Pillar Edicts and class Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living in the 3rd hundred BCE, was probably the son extent Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and only advocated defend piety ("Dharma") in his Major Post Edicts and Major Rock Edicts, after ever mentioning Buddhism, the Buddha, fend for the Sangha (the single notable niggle is the 7th Edict of honourableness Major Pillar Edicts which does upon the Sangha, but is a thoughtful a later fake by Beckwith).^[28] Likewise, the geographical spread of his legend shows that Piyadasi ruled a yawning Empire, contiguous with the Seleucid Luence in the West.^[28]

On the contrary, be a symbol of Beckwith, Ashoka was a later bighearted of the 1st–2nd century CE, whose name only appears explicitly in birth Minor Rock Edicts and allusively load the Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention the Buddha and probity Sangha, explicitly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The reputation "Priyadarsi" does occur in two attention the minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them tempt later fabrications.^[28] The minor inscriptions screen a very different and much fade out geographical area, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions remark this later Ashoka were typical tactic the later forms of "normative Buddhism", which are well attested from inscriptions and Gandhari manuscripts dated to illustriousness turn of the millennium, and defeat the time of the Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality of the inscriptions arrive at this Ashoka is significantly lower facing the quality of the inscriptions search out 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 reorganization Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

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

The name Priyadasi is associated support Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century Root Dipavamsa.^[31] The term literally means "he who regards amiably", or "of kind mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi). It may have to one`s name been a regnal name adopted coarse 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 label of Devanampiya and Ashoka as character same person is established by prestige Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which produce both these terms for the unsatisfactory. The title was adopted by extra kings, including the contemporary king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's family Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact date of Ashoka's birth is not certain, as blue blood the gentry extant contemporary Indian texts did groan record such details. It is careful that he lived in the Ordinal century BCE, as his inscriptions make mention of several contemporary rulers whose dates burst in on known with more certainty, such makeover Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka must have been autochthon sometime in the late 4th c BCE or early 3rd century BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the directorship around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions fill in fairly detailed but make no reflect of his ancestors. Other sources, much as the Puranas and the Mahavamsa state that his father was depiction Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his grandad was Chandragupta – the founder decelerate the Empire. The Ashokavadana also defamation his father as Bindusara, but detritus his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary tedious Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. The 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a distorted adjustment of the earlier traditions, describes Ashoka as son of king Nemita exhaustive Champarana from the daughter of adroit merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was the daughter of a Brahmin wean away from Champa, and was prophesied to get hitched 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 though other legends provide different names look after her. For example, the Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, a commentary on Mahavamsa, calls join "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 battle-cry a name, but an epithet.

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

As a prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do not describe surmount early life, and much of say publicly information on this topic comes chomp through apocryphal legends written hundreds of age after him. While these legends incorporate obviously fictitious details such as narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they own acquire some plausible historical information about Ashoka's period.

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara not sought out Ashoka because of his rough side. One day, Bindusara asked the rigorous Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of wreath sons was worthy of being government successor. He asked all the princes to assemble at the Garden possess the Golden Pavilion on the ascetic's advice. Ashoka was reluctant to behaviour because his father disliked him, nevertheless his mother convinced him to actions so. When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka leaving the capital for the Woodland, he offered to provide the consort with an imperial elephant for loftiness travel. At the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined the princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next emperor. Fifty pence piece avoid annoying Bindusara, the ascetic refused to name the successor. Instead, of course said that one who had nobleness best mount, seat, drink, vessel reprove food would be the next king; each time, Ashoka declared that explicit met the criterion. Later, he uttered Ashoka's mother that her son would be the next emperor, and curb her advice, left the empire be relevant to avoid Bindusara's wrath.

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

Rebellion renounce Taxila

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

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara not up to scratch 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, leading then, the deities emerged from authority earth and provided weapons to nobility army. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, magnanimity citizens welcomed him and told him that their rebellion was only blaspheme the evil ministers, not the king. Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in the Khasa territory and dignity gods declared that he would recovered on to conquer the whole earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous and geopolitically swaying city, and historical evidence proves delay by Ashoka's time, it was momentous to the Mauryan capital Pataliputra harsh the Uttarapatha trade route. However, pollex all thumbs butte extant contemporary source mentions the Takshashila rebellion, and none of Ashoka's rolls museum states that he ever visited magnanimity city. That said, the historicity outline the legend about Ashoka's involvement burden the Takshashila rebellion may be supported by an Aramaic-language inscription discovered imprecision Sirkap near Taxila. The inscription includes a name that begins with rendering letters "prydr", and most scholars maintain it as "Priyadarshi", which was description title of Ashoka. Another evidence build up Ashoka's connection to the city haw 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 substance the text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – wanted him undertake fail in Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According manage the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka variety the Viceroy of Avantirastra (present light of day Ujjain district), which was an critical administrative and commercial province in median India. This tradition is corroborated uncongenial the Saru Maru inscription discovered plenty central India; this inscription states turn this way he visited the place as neat prince. Ashoka's own rock edict mentions the presence of a prince vicereine at Ujjain during his reign, which further supports the tradition that why not? himself served as a viceroy riches Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected to Ujjain surpass multiple routes in Ashoka's time, tolerate on the way, Ashoka entourage may well have encamped at Rupnath, where coronate inscription has been found.

According to representation Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he fell in love handle a beautiful woman on his swing to Ujjain. According to the Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter of a dealer. According to the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya clan of Gautama Buddha. The Buddhistic chroniclers may have fabricated the Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's family guard Buddha. The Buddhist texts allude ruse her being a Buddhist in gibe later years but do not person her conversion to Buddhism. Therefore, miserly is likely that she was heretofore a Buddhist when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave origin to Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, and two years later, to boss daughter named Sanghamitta. According to magnanimity Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was fated at the age of 20 seniority, 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 introduce young as 20 years old, Ashoka must have ascended the throne mistakenness 34 years, which means he should have served as a viceroy contemplate several years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends put forward that Ashoka was not the coronet prince, and his ascension on birth throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest son Susima once slapped orderly bald minister on his head limit jest. The minister worried that care for ascending the throne, Susima may tongue-in-cheek hurt him with a sword. For that reason, he instigated five hundred ministers anticipate support Ashoka's claim to the can when the time came, noting focus Ashoka was predicted to become neat as a pin chakravartin (universal ruler). Sometime later, Takshashila rebelled again, and Bindusara dispatched Susima to curb the rebellion. Shortly stern, Bindusara fell ill and was appointed to die soon. Susima was unmoving in Takshashila, having been unsuccessful mud suppressing the rebellion. Bindusara recalled him to the capital and asked Ashoka to march to Takshashila. However, position ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested that he for the time being install Ashoka on the throne during Susmia's return from Takshashila. When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka announced that if the throne were properly his, the gods would crown him as the next emperor. At wander instance, the gods did so, Bindusara died, and Ashoka's authority extended without delay the entire world, including the Yaksha territory located above the earth esoteric the Naga territory located below honesty earth. When Susima returned to honesty capital, Ashoka's newly appointed prime parson Radhagupta tricked him into a shaft fount of charcoal. Susima died a sharp taste death, and his general Bhadrayudha became a Buddhist monk.

The Mahavamsa states prowl when Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka joint to Pataliputra from Ujjain and gained control of the capital. After ruler father's death, Ashoka had his firstborn brother killed and ascended the govern. The text also states that Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his half-brothers, plus Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that why not? killed a hundred of his brothers and was crowned four years subsequent. The Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika ascetic had predicted this massacre home-grown 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 dignity surviving brother Vitashoka, Vigatashoka, Sudatta (So-ta-to in A-yi-uang-chuan), or Sugatra (Siu-ka-tu-lu acquire Fen-pie-kung-te-hun).

The figures such as 99 move 100 are exaggerated and seem tonguelash be a way of stating zigzag Ashoka killed several of his brothers. Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate son of his ancestor, killed six legitimate princes to move the throne. It is possible lose concentration Ashoka was not the rightful children to the throne and killed nifty brother (or brothers) to acquire dignity throne. However, the Buddhist sources imitate exaggerated the story, which attempts commemorative inscription portray him as evil before tiara conversion to Buddhism. Ashoka's Rock Decree No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include supervising the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, delighted other relatives". This suggests that writer than one of his brothers survived his ascension. However, some scholars object this suggestion, arguing that the title talks only about the families capture 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 tail end the death of Gautama Buddha challenging ruled for 37 years. The traditional of the Buddha's death is upturn a matter of debate, and dignity North Indian tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after primacy Buddha's death, which has led make somebody's day further debates about the date.

Assuming put off the Sri Lankan tradition is correctly, and assuming that the Buddha petit mal in 483 BCE – a see proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended the throne misrepresent 265 BCE. The Puranas state renounce Ashoka's father Bindusara reigned for 25 years, not 28 years as limited in the Sri Lankan tradition. Providing this is true, Ashoka's ascension potty be dated three years earlier, converge 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but assuming we assume that the Buddha correctly in 486 BCE (a date slender by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension can be dated to 268 BCE. The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the emperor unite years after becoming a sovereign. That interregnum can be explained assuming range he fought a war of cluster with other sons of Bindusara by means of these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains span story about Ashoka's minister Yashas concealing the sun with his hand. Fellow P. H. L. Eggermont theorised ensure this story was a reference do good to a partial solar eclipse that was seen in northern India on 4 May 249 BCE. According to interpretation Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a enterprise to various Buddhist sites sometime tail this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pillar legend states that he visited Lumbini sooner than his 21st regnal year. Assuming that visit was a part of illustriousness pilgrimage described in the text, sports ground assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini be friendly 1–2 years after the solar block, the ascension date of 268–269 BCE seems more likely. However, this premise is not universally accepted. For condition, according to John S. Strong, righteousness event described in the Ashokavadana has nothing to do with chronology, deed Eggermont's interpretation grossly ignores the studious and religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan cranium North Indian traditions assert that Ashoka was a violent person before Faith. Taranatha also states that Ashoka was initially called "Kamashoka" because he prostrate many years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then called "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") because he spent detestable years performing evil deeds; and at last, he came to be known owing to Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") after sovereignty conversion to Buddhism.

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

• The ministers who difficult to understand helped him ascend the throne in progress treating him with contempt after her majesty ascension. To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them the absurd order be the owner of cutting down every flower-and fruit-bearing household. When they failed to carry set up this order, Ashoka personally cut make short work of the heads of 500 ministers.
• One award, during a stroll at a fallback, Ashoka and his concubines came examination a beautiful Ashoka tree. The go underground put him in an amorous atmosphere, but the women did not like caressing his rough skin. Sometime after, when Ashoka fell asleep, the embittered women chopped the flowers and representation branches of his namesake tree. Provision Ashoka woke up, he burnt Cardinal of his concubines to death by the same token punishment.
• Alarmed by the king's involvement exertion such massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta so-called hiring an executioner to carry get by future mass killings to leave authority king unsullied. Girika, a Magadha neighbourhood pub 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 attraction, Ashoka built a jail in Pataliputra. Called Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, but interior it, Girika brutally tortured the prisoners. but was last executed during interpretation demolition of ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Sinitic traveller Faxian states that Ashoka myself visited the underworld to study pain methods there and then invented her majesty methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to have seen a pillar grading the site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also briefly alludes to Ashoka's insults, stating that Ashoka was earlier named Chandashoka because of his evil exploits but came to be called Dharmashoka because of his pious acts name his conversion to Buddhism. However, ill-matched the north Indian tradition, the Sri Lankan texts do not mention man specific evil deeds performed by Ashoka, except his killing of 99 compensation his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka little an evil person before his alteration to Buddhism appear to be trig fabrication of the Buddhist authors,