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- One of the most interesting facts about Ashoka the Great is that he was the Mauryan Empire’s third king.
- King Ashoka was the third emperor of the Indian Mauryan Empire, reigning from 304 to 232 BCE.
- Asoka swiftly developed into a formidable warrior. The Mauryan army began to develop day by day under Ashoka.
- Ashoka presided over one of the largest empires in Indian history, as well as one of the world’s largest empires at the time.
- In the Buddhist tradition, he became a paradigm of kingship.
- India had a population of 30 million people under Ashoka, the greatest figure ever computed for a kingdom.
- Ashoka’s support for Buddhist monastic groups, as well as his decision to create numerous Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
- According to one legend, Ashoka erected 84,000 stupas, which are Buddhist structures used for meditation.
- Many Chinese and Japanese kings followed Ashoka’s lead and built stupas in his honour.
- Following his successful but bloody conquest of the Kalinga kingdom on India’s east coast, Ashoka abandoned armed conquest in favour of “conquest by dharma” (Means principles of right life).
- King Ashoka was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, the Maurya Dynasty’s founder monarch.
- After the death of Indian emperor Ashoka, the Maurya empire began to decline.
Kalinga War:
- He conquered Kalinga, which was regarded one of his greatest achievements, as it had not been done by his forefathers.
- King Ashoka waged a war against the feudal state of Kalinga in 261 BCE with the purpose of expanding their territory; it is now regarded as one of the most violent and bloody battles in world history.
- After the Kalinga War, Ashoka ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent, with the exception of the far south.
- Ashoka defeats Kalinga in this conflict. However, the death of 100,000 to 150,000 people renders him mute, and he turns to nonviolence.
Some Ashoka declaration:
- Medical care for both humans and animals across his Empire.
- Respect for one’s parents, priests, and monks should always be maintained.
- Humane treatment of prisoners is required.
- All religions, he said, are welcome because they all seek self-control and purity of heart.
- Giving the dharma to others, he believed, was the greatest gift anyone could receive.
- Ashoka carved 14 edicts into stone pillars and distributed them strategically throughout his dominion.
Also Read – The History Of The Elephanta Caves
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