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Ashoka

Emperor Ashoka

Asoka ( Devanagari : - IAST : Aoka), Asoka, Asoka or Ashokavardhna (c. 304 BC. - 232 BC. ), son of Bindusara , is the third emperor Maurya ( 273 BC. BC - 232 BC. ). Ashoka ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent , the current Afghanistan to Bengal and as far south as the present Mysore.

After beginning his reign very authoritarian, struck with horror and remorse seized after his bloody conquest of Kalinga , on the east coast of India - what is now the State of Orissa - it becomes Buddhist and completely change policy by seeking to follow the ahimsa : maintaining and spreading peace, nonviolence, compassion, vegetarianism. He then renovate the main roads of India, erected an impressive amount of stelae and buildings (including animal hospitals) showing his project, and passed a write, the Brahmin , which are derived the modern writings.

After his reign the empire disintegrated and the Indian unit will be lost until the establishment of Mughal and British rule, which gives his work at Ashoka and a very special place in Indian history.

The Conqueror, the Buddhist

Maurya Dynasty

Like Krishna , Mahavira and Gautama Buddha before him, Ashoka was born into a royal family, the Maurya, the warrior caste of Kshatriyas. His grandfather Chandragupta I ruled over a vast empire that stretched until Afghanistan. It establishes an administration on the example of the Persians and the capital of enormous proportions, Pataliputra , was built on the architectural style of Persepolis. But the founder of the Maurya dynasty grew weary of the intrigues of the court and abdicated in favor of his son Bindusara. Chandragupta then followed the teachings of a master Jain and withdrew with him to a secluded spot to end his days in fasting and meditation. His son, the father of Ashoka, only remained on the throne a short time. He also chose the ascetic life and renounced the throne.

The Maurya Empire during the reign of Ashoka

The accession to the throne of Ashoka seems to be a problem because it is only four years after winning it. Lorsqu'Ashoka access the sovereign power, the Mauryan rule over much of India, who united by force countless principalities, republics and tribes. It is the culmination of the powerful dynasty. Infiltration, espionage and deportations are the policy instruments of the young despot. His secret police sow terror. Ashoka finds alliances with its neighbors but does not respect them. His thirst for conquest is great. It causes war to open access to the southern kingdom.

War and metamorphosis

This war of Kalinga is more than 100 000 deaths. There are still traces today, more than 2000 years later: in the hills of red stones, caves and monuments bear murals which, like a picture book, describing the killings and the history of a conqueror and its enlightenment. It shows burned villages, rivers red with the blood of corpses, women weeping over the remains of their son, rotting cattle along the roads, vultures hovered in the sky in search of fresh flesh and finally, a bloodthirsty warrior, Ashoka, seized with remorse.

Sages Jains and Buddhists then beg him to end the conflict and make peace. They tell him the profound meaning of ahimsa, a Sanskrit word meaning non-violence, refusing to kill, harm or destroy, "Life is dear to all beings, all fear of suffering and fear their destruction. Respect, compassion and tolerance remains the essence of wisdom. "

According to Buddha, one of the fundamental duties of a king is to bring peace to avoid war at all costs and anything involving violence and destruction of life. The bad karma has no control over who identifies himself with all beings, which considers an equal say. Ahimsa is the abandoning want to possess and dominate. Attitudes pacifists joined the Dharma , the law, the universal duty on the paved path of righteous actions.

"Let my heart take refuge at the feet of Buddha. "At 20, the veil of illusion fades, the chains of attachment break for Ashoka. With ahimsa dharma-it will now pacify all areas of his empire.

On the site of the Battle of Orissa, he had engraved in stone:

"Devanamapriya (Ashoka) conqueror of Kalinga, now has remorse at the thought that the conquest is not a victory because the men were murdered, exiled and killed at such a conquest. Devanamapriya experiencing this with great sadness and regret. Now, the loss of even a hundredth or thousandth of all the lives that were killed, died or who were taken captive at the time the Kalinga was conquered Devanamapriya regret. He believes that even those who are causing harm deserve to be forgiven for the wrongs that can be forgiven. Because he believes that all people should remain sound, have control of themselves, be treated equally and live a happy life. Devanamapriya for the conquest by virtue is the most important conquest. "

Under the leadership of a Buddhist master, Ashoka is a retreat for two years, then resumed over the running of his empire.

The Ruler compassionate

The dharmacakra Ashoka

Ashoka completely changes the goal, but it remains a sovereign assets, which will leave countless footsteps.

A body of officials is responsible for the injustices. His secret police was disbanded.

Across the kingdom, Ashoka proclaimed on rock walls or columns of his aversion to violence and adherence to ahimsa. These stelae are found everywhere where people can read them in sacred places, cities at crossroads. They remain intact and legible for millennia. Often topped by a lion , also adorned the pillars dharmacakra the wheel of Dharma, the sacred law that Buddha set in motion for all living beings, as it passes Earth.

"He who refuses to hunt or fish, which does not kill and does not want to be the cause of death any creature, weak or powerful, that's a good man." (Buddha, Dhammapada )

Understanding that killing is always an abomination and that hunting and fishing are breaches of ahimsa, Ashoka severely regulate hunting. It promotes vegetarianism throughout the kingdom and banned the ritual sacrifices of animals. In his palace, no animal is killed, the entire royal court abstains from animal flesh. A typical dinner might consist of the king of grapes , of dates and mangoes , sweet cakes of rice boiled with spices and milk warm saffron.

The lack of any humane and caring attitude must encompass not only humans but also animals, "This gift (Dharma) is to deal fairly with slaves and servants to obey mother and father, liberal to Friends, acquaintances, relatives, priests and ascetics and not kill animals. "(Ashoka edict 10)

The interdependence of life is woven on the same desire not to suffer and live in peace. Do not approve or encourage violence. In this spirit of compassion helpful, we must not frighten the animals, filled with fear, torment, inflict pain, dominate sharply. This ethical conduct necessarily implies a non-violent power.

In solidarity with the animal world, Ashoka builds hospitals, hospices to collect the animals sick or elderly. It promotes the protection of forests and medicinal plants.

It helps the spread of Buddhism. However, no evidence can attest to his conversion. There is however a strong propaganda and sent missionaries as far as the island of Ceylon , (now Sri Lanka ) to be converted by his daughter and his son Mahinda Sangamit cited only by chronic Sinhalese , but ignored Registration Indian mention only three of his son, Tvar, Kunal and Jalauka.

The king made a pilgrimage to holy places has the presence of the Buddha and gives generously to the monasteries. It appoints auditors Dharma conducting periodic inspection tours throughout the empire. He himself runs his kingdom and spread his vision of ahimsa dharma-cities of the most remote provinces. Under his reign, no war break out in the states pacified.

Ashoka is credited with the erection of 84 000 stupas , circular mounds of brick or stone containing relics of Buddha or Bodhisattva famous, these enlightened beings dedicated to save the suffering humanity. In most of Ceylon, the king sends missionaries in Burma , in China and the Greek embassy to the princes of the time, Antiochus II of Syria and Gonatas Antigonus II of Macedonia. He convened the third Buddhist council whose major concern is the spread of Buddhism.

Ashoka founded more writing called Brahmin used to write documents. After the pictographic script of the Indus era which lasted until about 1500 BC, the earliest writing dates back to Ashoka Indian readable. Once he used it, she became the writing all over India. The majority of modern Indian scripts are therefore derived from Brahmin.

The story did not leave details about the personal life of Ashoka. We know he married the daughter of a banker, he had children and a summer palace on the site of Kalinga. His son brought the teachings of Buddha outside India. His grand-son was Samprati to share a propagator of Jainism.

After his reign of forty years, the Maurya Empire fell apart and went through again serious upheavals, invasions and deadly religious schisms.

Traces sustainable

The source of most of our knowledge consists of the Ashoka many inscriptions he had carved on pillars and rocks throughout the empire, mostly in language Magadha (a Prakrit ) in the Brahmi script (and sometimes characters Kharosthi ) but also in Greek and Aramaic. Besides these inscriptions are the first attestations of written notation of an Indian language and that this same script will create all the semi-primers currently on the Indian soil (eg Devanagari ), they have promoted the spread of 'Buddhist ethics and urged non-violence and adherence to the doctrine of Dharma, duty or right behavior. It also notes the importance given to vulgar language and vernacular, a Prakrit language at the expense of "noble" and literature, the Sanskrit , showing the sake of being understood by the people.

He expanded his capital Pataliputra - current Patna - and he built a palace in the Persian style. He shall also convene the ^3rd Buddhist council ( 253 BC. or 243 BC. ).

Following the enlightened reign of Ashoka, the reform of the Maurya Empire is exploited by invaders, and soon between declining and becoming fragmented into numerous principalities. Until the British colonization, about 2,000 years later, never too much of the sub-continent will be united under one government.

Recognizing the role without precedent in history, India has made the capitals of columns or side of Ashoka, one of the symbols of the Indian republic.