The great Indian emperor, Ashoka, was
born in 265 B.C. The grandson of the great Changragupta Maurya, Ashoka ruled
over an empire that covered two-thirds of the Indian continent. He was the
most famous of the Mauryan kings and was one of the greatest Hindu rulers of
India, who later got embraced Buddhism.
The capital of the Ashoka's Empire was located in the city of Pataliputra
(now known as Patna, the capital of Bihar in the eastern region of India).
A very brave ruler and a good administrator, Emperor Ashoka was the younger
son of the King Bindusara and was given the throne soon after the kings
death because he was loved and respected by his subjects and by his
ministers. His grandfather, Chandragupta, had set out to conquer the weaker
kingdoms around his kingdom to expand the territory of his people in 324
BCE, and was the first to rule over a unified India. Ashoka's father,
Bindusara, established a reign much the same as his father's, controlling a
larger kingdom than ever before known. It was in 268 BCE, when Ashoka was
crowned the king of Magadha.
The Turning Point
After 8 years of his rule, King Ashoka decided to annex Kalinga (Orissa)
into his kingdom. This was the first and last battle that Ashoka ever
fought. Though Ashoka won the battle he was horrified by the loss of life
and death of so many soldiers.
This incidence changed him and it was then he pledged that he would never
wage war again. He embraced Buddhism, and he promised to practice only
righteous actions in the future. Under the guidance of many Buddhist gurus
of the Buddhist community, Ashoka began to be like an ideal leader,
spreading peace & prosperity within society. He religiously followed the
principles of Buddhism - that of truth, charity, kindness, purity and
goodness.
A firm believer of non-violence, King Ashoka banned the sacrifice of
animals and asked his followers to take the path of virtuous action. Besides
all these, he opened clinics for birds and animals too. It was his good
works, which earned him the name of Devanamapriya Priyadarshi.
During the rule of Ashoka, India reached achieved numerous heights in the
history of the world.
Ashoka & Buddhism
