1. The Reign of Ashoka (273-232 BC)
PRESENTED BY…..
Subhasish Das
Dept.- EE
Class Roll No.- 11/EE/4019
WBUT Roll No
WBUT Registration No

2. TABLE OF CONTENT Introduction Buddhist Conversion Family Background
Mission to Spread Buddhism
Personal Information
Death and Legacy
Rise to Power
The Edicts of King Ashoka
Questionable Hereditary Succession
Conclusion
Early Life as Emperor
Bibliography
Conquest of Kalinga
A Sudden Change of Heart

3. INTRODUCTION The high point of the Mauryan empire
Conquered the kingdom of Kalinga, 260 BC.
Ruled through tightly organized bureaucracy
Established capital at Pataliputra
Policies of encouraging agriculture and trade
Dedicated his life to Buddhism.
Built Extensive roads.
Conflict  How to balance Kautilya’s method of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?

4. FAMILY BACKGROUND
Born in 304 BC to the mauryan emperor bindusara and his queen, dharma [or dhamma].
The grandson of chandragupta maurya, founder of mauryan dynasty.
Although dharma was of priestly lineage, the fact that she was not royal by birth made her a very low-status consort in the harem.
Had several elder siblings, whom were his half-brothers from other wives of bindusara.
One younger sibling, vitthashoka, another son of dharma.

5. PERSONAL INFORMATION Quickly grew into an excellent warrior
His command on the mauryan army started growing day by day
His elder brothers became suspicious of him being favoured as the next emperor.
The eldest son of bindusara, prince susima, convinced him to send asoka to takshashila
Went to kalinga, where he met a fisherwoman named kaurwaki.

6. RISE TO POWER Ashoka was stationed at ujjayini as governor.
Bindusara's death in 273 bc led to a war over succession
Ashoka was supported by his father's ministers.
Ashoka managed to become the king by getting rid of the legitimate heir to the throne
Tricking him into entering a pit filled with live coals.

7. Questionable Hereditary Succession
Bindusara became gravely ill
Ashoka killed 99 of his brothers, sparing only one, named tissa
The coronation happened in 269 BC, four years after his succession to the throne
Eliminated his own brothers so that he could succeed his father

8. Early Life as Emperor
Ashoka was anointed the new emperor or ruler of the mauryan empire in 274 BC
He is said to have been of a wicked nature and bad temper
Built hell on earth, an elaborate and horrific torture chamber
Earned him the name of chand ashoka (sanskrit), meaning ashoka the fierce
Expanded his empire over the next eight years

9. Conquest of Kalinga

10. Continued.....
Began in the 8th year of Ashoka's reign, probably in 261 BC
After a bloody battle, Ashoka tried to annex kalinga
In the aftermath of the battle of kalinga the daya river running next to the battle field turned red with the blood of the slain
100,000 kalinga civilians and more than 10,000 of ashoka's own warriors were among those slain

11. A Sudden Change of Heart
After the battle in a tour of city, he could see nothing except burnt houses and scattered corpses.
This sight made him sick and he cried the famous monologue:
What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Do I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?

12. Continued…..
The mammoth loss of life and suffering witnessed on the battlefield made him turn away from war
He felt that he was the cause of the destruction
His queen, Devi, who was a Buddhist, left him after seeing the brutality at Kalinga
Ashoka realized the consequences of wars and battles

13. BUDDHIST CONVERSION
The brutality of the conquest led Ashoka to adopt Buddhism
Embraced buddhism under the brahmin buddhist sages, radhaswami and manjushri
He made buddhism his state religion around 260 BC
Can be credited with making the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy
Propagated and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC

14. Missions to Spread Buddhism
He sent his missionaries to the following places:
Kashmir-Gandhara Majjhantika
"Country of the Yona" (Bactria/ Seleucid Empire) - Maharakkhita
Himavanta (Nepal) - Majjhima
Mahisamandala (Mysore) - Mahadeva
Suvannabhumi (Thailand/ Myanmar) - Sona and Uttara
Vanavasi (Tamil Nadu) - Rakkhita
Lankadipa (Sri Lanka) - Mahamahinda
Maharattha (Maharashtra) - Mahadhammarakkhita
Aparantaka (Gujarat and Sindh) - Yona Dhammarakkhita

15. DEATH & LEGACY Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years
He had numerous wives and many heirs but most of their name are lost
He had entrusted to Mahindra and Sanghamitra the job of making his state religion
Ashoka died in 232 BC
After his death, the Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more years

16. The Edicts of King Ashoka
The Rock Edicts -
THE FOURTEEN ROCK EDICTS
KALINGA ROCK EDICTS
MINOR ROCK EDICTS
THE SEVEN PILLAR EDICTS
MINOR PILLAR EDICTS
The pillars of Ashoka were erected by him during his reign in the 3rd century BC
The Stupas of Sanchi are world famous and the stupa named SanchiStupa was built by Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka's own words as known from his Edicts are:
"All men are my children. I am like a father to them. As every father desires the good and the happiness of his children, I wish that all men should be happy always”.

18. ROCK EDICTS OF AHOKA Elephant at Kalinga war site-Orissa
Minor Rock Edict site- Madhya Pradesh
Rock Edict at Junagadh
Major Rock Edict at Girnar, Gujarat

19. CONCLUSION
Right from his childhood days Ashoka showed great promise in the field of weaponry skills as well as academics
Although Ashoka was known as Cruel Ashoka but He felt that he was the cause of the destruction which made him turn away from war and adopt Buddhism
In fact, he can be credited with making the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy.
Buddhism received a significant boost of popularity when Ashoka converted to Buddhism.
Throughout his life, 'Asoka the Great' followed the policy of nonviolence
He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and renovating major roads throughout India. After this transformation, Ashoka came to be known as Dhammashoka
Ashoka tried to make the lives better and Ashoka is honored today

20. BIBLIOGRAPHY