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Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Ashoka Maurya’s Conversion to Buddhism: Effect on the History of India Essay

Ashoka Maurya was integrity of the most influential leaders in Indias history. The British historian H. G. come up in his work The Outline of History said of Ashoka, amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history the name of Ashoka shines, and shines almost al unrivaled, a star (94). Ashokas eventual abuse to violence and war, his honesty in admitting his mistakes, and his concern for the welfare of his mickle not just now made him shine as brilliantly as a star, entirely also dramatically changed the history of India.Yet since umteen legends were simply nothing more than a popular yearning for an exemplary governr, none of the references were taken as well seriously at first. Ashoka was portrayed as too good to be true the ruthless, cruel leader who saw the light and transformed into the supreme gentle formula. When he was evil, Buddhists legends contended he killed ninety-nine br another(prenominal)s to obtain the throne after his fath er. As the transformed benevolent king, Buddhist legends claimed he built 84,000 monasteries and almost as galore(postnominal) stupas in one day. Scholars did not take this king too seriously.Renewed interest in this legendary figure came with the discovery of rock and roll and stone pillars containing guilds incised during the reign of Ashoka. In 1879, Alexander Cunningham published a translation of these inscriptions. Even more engravings were discovered with the latest four found in 1969. These stone inscriptions provided a rare access to the personalized edicts dictated by Ashoka and thus, were a primary source concerning this king. Gradually, as rock and pillar inscriptions were scrutinized, scholars began to consider Ashoka a legitimate historical figure and to evaluate his place in Indias history.The rock and pillar edicts were critical in understanding and documenting the changes Ashoka brought to India for they were a record in his very own actors line. Romila Thapar described the benefit of these exclusive inscriptions It is rare in Indian history to have access to the personalized edicts of a king in this we are flushed (Thapar 16). Ashokas edicts, engraved on rocks and stone pillars between 264 and 262 BCE, were scattered through with(predicate)out India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The location of the rock engravings was governed by the accessibility of suitable slabs of stone.The pillars, on the other hand, were dictated in very specific locations. For example, one marked the birthplace of Buddha. Others were found near populated demesnes to be seen by as many people as possible. The pillar edicts, between forty and fifty feet in height, weighed up to fifty tons. They were all quarried between 247 and 242 BCE in the Chunar Hills along the Ganges River and sometimes transported over one hundred miles to the location where they were erected. The pillars were originally capped with a roaring lion, a bull, or a spirited horse.These st one works reflected the great art and cast of the Indian culture. The history regarding Ashoka was chiefly known from these rock and pillar edicts. This research shows the transformation that occurred in the country of India because of Ashokas conversion to Buddhism. First, this study investigates the three battleful generations of the Mauryan Dynasty to provide background and to shed light on the caliber of leadership training Ashoka received from his upbringing. One must understanding Ashokas family history in order to comprehend the difference he made after his conversion.Secondly, this research covers the causes of Ashokas conversion, which builds an understanding of the personal and political benefits for him. His remorse and shame after a blooming(a) battle, which he instigated and took responsibility for, were the catalyst to his conversion. The methodology for this paper places the highest emphasis on the translations of rock and pillar edicts found throughout the Indian subcontinent. These inscriptions are a primary source Ashokas own words. From numerous readings of these edicts, evolves this research query how much did India change after Ashokas conversion?The various edicts contain Ashokas interpretation of Buddhist doctrine, his personal changes, or Indias policy changes. Not every edict is enter in this paper for there is not mode or need to do that. The edicts of primary impact on India are discussed. Scholars and translators have labeled and numbered the rock and pillar edicts inscribed by Ashoka. Most of the rock edicts were catalogued simply by the abbreviation RE with a number. For example, the fourteenth rock edict was labeled RE 14. The pillar edicts were handled the corresponding way only apply PE as the abbreviation.Sometimes the edicts listed the location in front of the abbreviation, as with Kalinga RE 1. This study uses these abbreviations within the text. Gokhale (1966) includes citations from Arthastastra, a book on governmen t and economics written during the Mauryan Dynasty. This book is critical in understanding the impact of the changes Ashoka makes. How Ashoka Mauryas Conversion to Buddhism Affected the History of India Ashoka Maurya was the terce ruler of the Mauryan Dynasty about 263 BCE. After a bloody battle in Kalinga, he renounced brutality and endeavored to rule his empire rule according to the Buddhist doctrine of nonviolence.His grandfather and father did not follow Buddhism. Chandragupta, Ashokas grandfather, was the founder of the Mauryan Dynasty about 325 BCE. After Ashokas father, Bindusara, ruled for approximately twenty-five years, he handed the empire over to Ashoka. Northwestern India, in the fourth one C BCE, consisted of independent tribes ineffective in uniting against outside resistance. Alexander conquered one tribe after another like a tornado ripping through the country. Yet after he returned to Greece, the leaders he left in place were soon murdered or overthrown.There wa s not enough punt to sustain Alexanders conquests. The significance of the Greek invasions and aftermath for India was that Alexander had shattered the power of numerous petty kingdoms and created a force turbulence and a political weakness that were soon exploited by Chandragupta Maurya (Gokhale 25). The young, strong, and ruthless Chandragupta, an opportunist with Kautalyas encouragement, took advantage of this time to seize power. Under Chandragupta, the empire enjoyed great success. practically of the wealth came from widespread foreign vocation with Greece, Rome, and China.The affluence was not gained for him, but he used the wealth to improve his empire, including irrigation systems and new roads. His example of investing in the empire would later be seen with Ashoka. Megasthenes, a Greek historian living in India at the time, recorded his personal observations concerning the Mauryan rule in Indika. Gokhale quoted excerpts from Indika Ashokas father, Bindusara, encompassi ng the Mauryan Empire and conquered the land between the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. At the time of Bindusaras death, about 273 BCE, almost the entire Indian subcontinent was part of the Mauryan Dynasty.The only troublesome territory was Kalinga on the eastern coast. His son, Ashoka, would eventually obtain this area by brutal force and regret thisaction for the rest of his life. Ashoka was next in line to rule the flourishing Mauryan Dynasty. During the first years of Ashokas rule, he was as warlike as his grandfather conquering tribes in the east and earning the name one without sorrow. The state of Kalinga, a rich and fertile land outside Ashokas empire, remained independent and was particularly troublesome to him.Ashoka determined that the future of his empire was threatened, if he did not guard Kalinga. Another motive for wanting control of this province was that valuable betray routes passed through it. About 261 BCE in the eighth year of his reign, Ashoka marched towar ds Kalinga. King Ashokas reaction to the battle was unique. Never before in the history of humanity, nor afterwards, has a king publicly expressed genuine grief for a deed commonly regarded as the legitimate business of kings. The war of Kalinga was the first and last war waged by Ashoka (Gokhale 59).History did not record exactly when Ashoka converted to Buddhism, but his own words in stone certainly recorded the impact this battle had on his moving towards the non-violent doctrine of Buddhism. Some historians believed that Ashoka had already converted before the battle at Kalinga. Scholars felt his commitment to the non-violent doctrine of Buddhism simply grew after he witnesses the destruction (Guruge 52). Using the dates of K. Rangaswami, Ashoka was crowned as king and joined the Buddhists as a laymen the same year, 269 BCE (145). The battle at Kalinga was fought three years later.Rock inscriptions found in three different sites said I did not progress well for a year. Another important piece to understanding why Ashoka chose Buddhism was his upbringing. His early education under Hindu beliefs paralleled particular Buddhist doctrine, including the importance of ones dharma, or moral duty. Ashoka was raised under the teachings Kautalya, a Brahmin and a contemporary of Aristotle. Kautalyas ideologies regarding a kings responsibilities were recorded in his book, Arthashastra, literally means principles of wealth.The writings expanded beyond wealth to a pragmatic philosophy regarding all the responsibilities of statehood taxation, administration, law, diplomacy, trade, labor, and land occupancy. The Arthashastra explained that a king had two objectives one of which was the exercise of power, and the other the practice of benevolence (Gokhale 39). This balance was ingrained in the Mauryan rulers as all three were raised under Kautalyas principles of statehood. Kautalya taught that power could be legitimate only if used in pursuit of the dharma (Gokhale 38). Dharma was a central concept in both Hinduism and Buddhism.Ashoka embraced the doctrine of dharma before his conversion for this belief was part of Kautalyas training. Buddhism was good-hearted to this king because he was comfortable with dharma. The Mauryan king eventually rejected the Brahmins teaching regarding the necessary show of force, and became infamous for proclaiming dharma in every area of government. Who was personally responsible for Ashokas conversion to Buddhism? The rock and pillar inscriptions did not give one-person credit. History recorded a few personal encounters Ashoka had with Buddhists his nephew, a monk in northern India and his first wife.These experiences were a positive influence in his choice of Buddhism. Ashoka throughout his whole life, before and after conversion, was tolerant and deferent of all godlinesss. Not only did he permit all faiths to worship freely, he very much invited them to the palace for their advice. Mahavamsa, a Sri Lankan Buddh ist text from the fifth coke CE, told the tale of how dissatisfied Ashoka was after a session with Brahmins and holy men of other sects regarding the distribution of charity moneys (Gokhale 61). He stood by the palace window and spy a young man, Nigrodha.It turned out that Nigrodha was his nephew, the son of Ashokas elder brother, who had been killed in a struggle for the throne after Bindusara. Given audience with the king, his nephew preached a sermon Ashoka heard Buddhist doctrine from a family relation. The Sanskrit Buddhist text, Divyavadana gave a monk, Upagupta, the credit for Ashokas conversion. A whole sequence of Buddhist stories concerning Ashoka, the proverbial note child for this religion, was quite contradictory making it hard to give them much credence. Buddhist texts tended to glorify Ashokas conversion (understandably so for he was great advertisement).Regardless, one can imagine that a personal encounter with a very convincing monk made an impression on Ashoka. The most historically documented encounter Ashoka had with Buddhism was with Devi, his first wife. At approximately age eighteen, Ashoka was given the responsibility to govern Avanti, a province in central India. Here tribal villages were often rebelling against their incorporation into the Mauryan Dynasty. Avanti was vital to the Mauryan Empire for its agriculture (wheat in particular), its trade, and its commerce (Gokhale 39).This province was a center for Buddhism with two study monasteries located near important trade routes that connected southern and western cities. The deeply entwined political and religious climate during Ashokas lifetime was an important clue in understanding his choice of Buddhism. Hinduism, the major religion at the time of Ashoka, began between 2000 BCE and 1500 BCE with the entrance of the Aryans, nomadic herders from central Asia. By the third century BCE, Buddhism (still considered a sect) was emerging as an adversary to many Hindu social values, in particular the priestly hierarchy.History would later show that it was Ashokas attention to Buddhism that was the catalyst for its growth into a major religion in India. Economically, Buddhism was advantageous to Ashoka, also. Partially due to the Buddhist influence, the Indian social hierarchy started to see a transfer in power. Buddhas teachings encouraged the people to reevaluate the Brahmin traditions, including the need for priests. The authority of the Brahmins was slowly shifting away to favor the merchant class. Prior to the Mauryan Dynasty and certainly during it, India was enjoying strong economical advantages.The development of trade and commerce was partially due to the growth of several trade routes crisscrossing northern, central, and western India. Many factors contributed to Ashokas conversion and choice of Buddhism. Ashoka had many emotional, pre-existing connections to move him in the direction of a non-violent philosophy. The battle at Kalinga produced a deep-root ed emotional response as he declared in a rock edict that he was filled with remorse, sorrow and regret. His personal encounters with a nephew, a monk, and, most importantly, a woman he loved, Devi, all contributed to favorably looking towards Buddhism.As the ruler of the Mauryan Dynasty, he wanted to provide the best for his people, and politically, Buddhism was becoming more popular than the ritualistic Brahmin ways. With many encounters with this rising religion, it was not surprising to see the third ruler of the Mauryan Dynasty embrace Buddhism. Ashoka Maurya transformed himself and his state before the very eyes of his people. He changed from a ruler trained in the Indian tradition of military conquest to a benevolent monarch. His desire for his people was inscribed in stone All men are my peopleI desire that they be provided with complete welfare and happiness in this world (Kalinga RE 1). India for him was now a large family over whom he presided with the Buddhism as his gui de. The concept of dharma was not unsocial to Buddhism alone. Hindus, Jains and other popular sects at that time included a code of ethics. Dharma was part of the currency of ethical norms propounded by various teachers (Thapar 32). What made Ashoka unique was that as the most powerful man on the Indian subcontinent, he adopted a policy of goodness to all (previous enemies included) and non-violence in domestic and foreign affairs.

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