| Ashoka | |
|---|---|
| Chakravartin Devanampriya Priyadarsin | |
 | |
| Emperor of the Maurya Empire | |
| Reign | c. 268 – 232 BCE[3] |
| Coronation | c. 269 BCE[3] |
| Predecessor | Bindusara |
| Successor | Dasharatha |
| Crown Prince of Magadha | |
| Predecessor | Susima |
| Successor | Kunala |
| Viceroy of Avantirastra | |
| Born | c. 304 BCE Pataliputra, Magadha, Mauryan Empire (Present day Bihar, India) |
| Died | 232 BCE Pataliputra, Magadha, Mauryan Empire (Present day Bihar, India) |
| Spouses |
|
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Maurya |
| Father | Bindusara |
| Mother | Subhadrangi or Dharma[note 1] |
| Religion | Supported Buddhism[4][5] but also other religions, propagated dharma ("righteousness")[6] |
| Maurya Empire (322–180 BCE) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka (/əˈʃoʊkə/[7] ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha[8] from c. 268 BCE until his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east, with its capital at Pataliputra. A patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role in the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.
Ashoka's edicts state that during his eighth regnal year (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga after a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently devoted himself to the propagation of "dhamma" or righteous conduct, the major theme of the edicts. Ashoka's edicts suggest that a few years after the Kalinga War, he was gradually drawn towards Buddhism. The Buddhist legends credit Ashoka with establishing a large number of stupas, patronising the Third Buddhist council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, making generous donations to the sangha.
Ashoka's existence as a historical emperor had almost been forgotten, but since the decipherment in the 19th century of sources written in the Brahmi script, Ashoka holds a reputation as one of the greatest Indian emperors. The State Emblem of the modern Republic of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, is adopted at the centre of the National Flag of India.
- ^ Lahiri 2015, pp. 295–296.
- ^ Singh 2017, p. 162.
- ^ a b Singh 2008, p. 331.
- ^ Strong, John S. (2002–2003). Faure, Bernard (ed.). "Aśoka's Wives and the Ambiguities of Buddhist Kingship". Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie. 13. Paris: École française d'Extrême-Orient: 35–54. doi:10.3406/asie.2002.1176. eISSN 2117-6272. JSTOR 44167352. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Lahiri 2015, p. 219.
- ^ Peter Fibiger Bang, Christopher Bayly (2021). The Oxford World History Of Empire Volume Two The History Of Empires. p. 208.
Aśoka placed Buddhism side by side with Brahmanism, Jainism, and the Ajivikas in his edicts and stressed that his dhamma was not the doctrine of one religion but was universal.
- ^ Bollard, John K., ed. (1998). Pronouncing dictionary of proper names: pronunciations for more than 28,000 proper names, selected for currency, frequency, or difficulty of pronunciation (2nd ed.). Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7808-0098-4.
- ^ Manish Rannjan (19 August 2023). Indian Art & Culture Book in English: Exploring Heritage and Tradition. Prabhat Prakashan. p. 161. ISBN 978-93-5521-694-6.
The Bhatru inscription confirms Emperor Ashoka's acceptance of Buddhism, and in it Ashoka describes himself as the emperor of Magadha.
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