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| Chandragupta Maurya |
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| Chandragiri Hills where Chandragupta died |
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| Rock Edict at Sannati, Gulbarga |
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| Asokan Pillar at Vaisali |
In Indian history there are so many kingdoms ruled by various kings without having any sense of national unity. Frequently they used to wage wars to extend their kingdoms or to show off their power and greatness. The rule of Mauryan Dynasty from 321 B.C. to 185 B.C. ushered in a broad perspective with a sense of unity and efficient administration. Many social and political changes took place during their times. Relations with foreign countries like Greece, Syria and Rome were improved. Great kings, scholars and social reformers were born during this era making it one of the most memorable ages in the annals of the whole world. The first emperor and founder of this dynasty was the great Chandra Gupta Maurya (340--298 B.C.?), who was not of royal descent. With his leadership skills and bravery he was able to dethrone the inefficient and dictatorial Nanda royal clan and occupy the throne as people were vexed with the riegn of Nanda rulers. In this enterprise Chanakya, a learned teacher from Takshsila, helped him to realize his dream as Chanakya was also humiliated by the Nanda rulers when he went there to caution them about their autocratic and unfair ways of administration. He expanded his kingdom through central and western India and defeated the Satraps whom Alexander appointed as representatives when he had left India. Chandragupta's territory extended up to Assam in the east, up to Afghanistan and south east Iran in the west. Alexander's chieftain who was a ruler of the entire Northwestern region made peace with Chandragupta and formed an alliance by offering his daughter's hand in marriage to Chandragupta and gave away the northwestern kingdoms to him. Thus right from Chandragupta's time Indian rulers maintained good relationships with western kingdoms like Persia, Syria, Greece and Rome. He built a stately palace which was admired by Megasthenes as very magnificent and splendid even surpassing the grandeur of Persian and Babylonian palaces. He built a wooden wall around the town consisting of 64 gates and 570 towers. The traces of an eighty-pillared hall of this magnificent palace were found during excavations at Kumhrar near Patna. At the age of forty-two he became the disciple of a Jain Guru, Bhadrabhahu and gave up his throne. He went to Sravanabelagola in Karnataka and led the life of a Jain monk and later attained Nirvana by observing the Jain custom of Salekhana that is starving oneself to death.
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| Asandhimitra, Ashoka's Chief Queen |
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| Tishyaraksha, Last Wife of Ashoka |
After Chandragupta's abdication of the throne, his son Bindusara (320-273 B.C.) became the emperor and like his father he ran administration effectively. He extended his kingdom further by winning Deccan region and other kingdoms up to as far as Karnataka. He patronized Ajivaka saints and believed in their philosophy which does not recognize the supremacy of Brahmins and sacrificial rituals. The Ajivaka saints led a simple and peaceful life and believed that every thing in creation is predetermined by destiny. Bindusara also maintained cordial relations with the foreign kingdoms like Persia,Syria and Greece. Bindusara was said to have many wives and many sons. In those days kings married to forge political alliances. Ashoka, though born to a brahmin Lady called Subhadrangi, became the king after gaining mastery over other contenders by acting in a very rigid and strategic manner. He was said to have killed six brothers who were also scheming to bring him down. He displayed his prowess and tact when he suppressed the rebellion in Takshsila where his eldest brother Suseem ( 304-270 B.C.) had failed to control.
When Ashoka was in Ujjain as Governor of Avanti, he married a merchant's daughter called Vidisa Mahadevi (286--242 B.C.) of Sakya clan. She encouraged Ashoka to follow Buddhism and did not accompany Asoka to his capital as she was not of royal lineage to be his chief queen. At the age of 20, he became a father to a son called Mahendra in 280 B.C. In 282 B.C. a daughter called Sanghamitra was born to Vidisa. Both Mahendra and Sanghamitra were later sent to Ceylon by Ashoka to propagate Buddhism. His second wife, Karvaki, was a fisherman's daughter in Kalinga. Ashoka fell in love with her and married her. She bore him a son called Tivala who later was appointed as the Viceroy of Takshsila afterwards. She is the only queen whose name had been mentioned in Ashokan stone inscriptions. In the Queen Edict her charitable acts and donations had been described. Probably her son, Tivala, might have died before his father's death and hence was not made the king of Mauryan empire. His third wife, Rani Padmavathi, belonged to a royal clan and she bore him a son by name Kunala. Ashoka's fourth wife, Asandhimitra remained as the chief queen right from Asoka's accession to throne in 270 B.C. till her death in 240 B.C. She was the pricess from a small kingdom located in east Haryana and she was a staunch follower of Buddhism. The largest Sthupa measuring about 80 feet in height and 250 feet in diameter is still seen in the little town of Asandh in Haryana. She stayed in Pataliputra as chief queen while Ashoka's first wife, Devi, stayed in Vidisa and His third wife, Karvaki in Kausambi. Asandhimitra did not have any children, but took care of Kunala whose mother Rani Padmavathi died soon after giving birth to her son. After her death in 240 B.C. Ashoka married her maid Tishyaraksha who was far younger than him in age. She was made chief queen by the king. She did not have any progeny but took care of Ashoka in his old age. She died in 238 B.C. just six years before Ashoka's demise in 232 B.C.
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| Buddhist Stupa built by Ashoka at Sanchi |
"Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Priyadarsi, conquered the Kalingas eight years after his coronation. One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingas had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the Dharma, a love for the Dharma and for instruction in Dharma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas.
. He was attracted to ideals of Buddhism and did his best to propagate them in many ways. He tried to maintain cordial and peaceful relationship with all neighboring and remote kings by sending Buddhist emissaries and by setting up pillars and rocks on which the principles of Buddhism was carved and kept near monasteries and city centers. These are called pillar and rock edicts carved in Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts. In some places Greek and Armaic script was used where foreign citizens lived. Each pillar was 40 to 50 feet in height with a pedestal on its top on which some animal figure or symbol was seen. In later times some of these animal figures were destroyed by foreigners. Out of many pillars nineteen pillars are seen now, six of them having animal figures erected on the top. Ashokan pillars were made of buff-colored sandstone obtained from Churnar near Varanasi. In some places they were made of spotted red and white sandstone procured from Madhura region. He also constructed Buddhist Stupas containing the holy relics of the Buddha or Buddhist saints and disciples. They look very grand with beautiful carvings and architectural designs as seen in places like Sanchi. Gaya. In one of his pillar edicts he strongly advocated kindness towards animals and against indiscriminate killing of animals.
"Twenty-six years after my coronation various animals were declared to be protected – parrots, mainas, ruddy geese, wild ducks,nandimukhas, gelatas, bats , queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, vedareyaka, fish,tortoises, gangapuputakas, porcupines, squirrels, deer,bulls, okapinda, wild asses, wild pigeons,, domestic pigeons and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible. Those nanny goats, ewes and sows which are with young or giving milk to their young are protected, and so are young ones less than six months old. Cocks are not to be caponized, husks-- hiding living beings are not to be burnt and forests are not to be burnt either without reason or to kill creatures. One animal is not to be fed to another.
— Edict on Fifth Pillar
Ashoka’s First Rock Edict in Girnar.
Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, has caused this Dhamma edict
to be written.[1] Here (in my domain) no living beings are to be slaughtered or
offered in sacrifice. Nor should festivals be held, for Beloved-of-the-Gods,
King Piyadasi, sees much to object to in such festivals, although there are
some festivals that Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, does approve of.
Formerly, in the kitchen of Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi,
hundreds of thousands of animals were killed every day to make curry. But now
with the writing of this Dhamma edict only three creatures, two peacocks and a
deer are killed, and the deer not always. And in time, not even these three
creatures will be killed.
After ruling nearly for forty years Ashoka died in 232 B.C. leaving his vast kingdom. The Mauryan power gradually declined afterwards. The allies of neighboring kingdoms asserted their independence and rebelled against the Mauryan emperor. The kingdom was divided into two parts. The eastern part was ruled by Ashoka's grandson, Dasarath and the western part was ruled by Kunala. Dasarath continued the same policies of his grandfather. He believed in Ajivaka philosophy and he dedicated rock-built caves in Nagarjuna Hills to Ajivaka Brahmins. Kunala and Dasarath seemed to have died at about same time in after ruling for eight years. Samprati, Ashoka's grandson ruled both parts between 224 B.C. and 215 B.C. He was a staunch supporter of Jainism and renovated many Jain temples. Later Salisuka, who followed Jainism, was portrayed as a wicked and quarrelsome king in the astronomical treatise, "Gargi Samhita" ruled from 215 to 202 B.C. Later Devavarman (who believed in Buddhism) ruled from 202 to 195 B.C. Afterwards Satadhanvan ruled for a period of eight years from 195 to 187 B.C. By this period Magadh has lost many of its kingdoms and many foreigners came to occupy the western parts of the empire. The last Mauryan emperor was Brihadratha, (a Buddhist in faith), who ruled only for two years from 187 to 185 B.C. was murdered by his own chieftain, Pushyamitra who became the king and founder of the Sunga dynasty.
Too much centralization of powers, vast territory, foreign invasions and lack of co-ordination and efficiency led to disintegration of the Mauryan empire though some say that Ashoka's de-recognition of the Brahmin supremacy and Vedic rituals led to divisions among the rulers. Though Ashoka denounced violence and bloodshed, he maintained firm grip over his subpordinates and imposed rigid punishments on the rebels and offenders. Ashoka's reforms and humanitarian outlook changed social conditions and people enjoyed many facilities and contributed much to Buddhist cause of establishing many monasteries and charitable institutions. There are many myths exaggerating his former life of cruelty towards his brothers and family. But the fact is that he was forced to act to realize his aspiration of claiming the throne amidst equally ambitious and conspiring members. He appointed some of his brothers as viceroys at Takshsila, Tosali, Ujjain and Suvarnagiri. He was rigid in imposing punishments as per the Mauryan system of law and administration. But it is enough to say that his conversion to Buddhism has broadened his vision of Dharma and Ahimsa and paved the way to maintain peace and harmony throughout his empire. The famous writer H.G.Wells in his book "The Outline Of History" complimented Ashoka in glowing terms, which is very true and make Indians proud of their heritage and history.
" In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves "their highnesses," "their majesties," and "their exalted majesties" and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star , even unto this day."
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Dated : 29th July, 2016 Somaseshu Gutala
Good information about Ashoka,and before and after his regime
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