Ahsoka’s dhamma has a much wider connotation.

- It was the first time that a king is directly intracting with

his subjects through dhamma

{{{{{Ashoka seems to have been

obsessed with explaining and
propagating Dhamma.}}}}

- Probably no ruler ever expressed the relationship the

relationship between the king and his subjects in a simpler
and a nobler language
{{{{{Ashoka believed that an ideal king should busy himself with the social welfare
of his subjects. It was an inspiring ideal of kingship. Probably no ruler ever expressed
the relationship the relationship between the king and his subjects in a simpler and a
nobler language.}}}}}}}}}}

{{{{{“All men are my children”, said he, “and just as I desire for my children that
they may enjoy every kind of prosperity and happiness, in both this world and the
next, so also I desire the same for all men.”}}}}

- Acceptable to people belonging to any religious sects

- aimed at building up an attitude of
social responsibility among people.

ASHOKA EXPOUNDED HIS POLICY OF DHAMMA

 - to eliminate social tension and sectarian
conflict

- To promote a harmonious relationship

between diverse elements of the empire

- Concord among people belonging to

different sects or religious community
{up}

- Indicates Dhamma didn’t consist in

promotion of a particular sect, Buddhist
or otherwise

THE BASIC PRINCIPELS OF DHAMMA

ASHOKA’S DHAMMA INSISTENCE ON
- Abstinence from killing animals
{up}
- The theme of Ahimsa
- Respectful behaviours towards elders
Liberty to Shramanas and Brahmans
///////dhamma-mahāmātras, yutas and rājukas. They were given a protective
mission among people of all sects including the brahmins and sramanas.//////
 - Obedience to mother and father
- Restraint in criticizing other sects and
praise their own

DHAMMA OF KING
- to promote welfare of all his people
discharge all the debates he owes to all
beings
[[[[[[Being a pragmatic ruler Ashoka did not completely abolish the system of
capital punishment but he tried to humanise the practice. This shows his concern
for the rights of his subjects.}}}}}}
{{{[a theocracy without a God; in which the government should act the part of
Providence, and guide the people in the right way. Every man, he maintained, must
work out his own salvation, and eat the fruits of his deeds}}}

- ensure their happiness in this world and

afterlife
{{{{Throughout his policy of dhamma he highlighted the welfarist
nature of the state and rightly formulated that the functions of the state should not
be limited to the maintenance of law and order only but it should also include
within its sphere the various welfarist measures.}}}}}
He was responsible for planting banyan trees and mango groves along the
roads, digging wells at the intervals of every eight kosas and building sheds for
supplying drinking water to human-beings and animals.

All these measures were prompted by Ashoka’s not only

for the welfare and happiness of his subjects in this world but also for the
popularisation of the practices of the dhamma among the people so that they
might attain happiness in the next world as well.

- edict also states all these things had

been done for the benefit of people and
animals as well.
{{{{{{{Ashoka’s policy of dhamma is a declaration of welfarism both for humans
and non-humans.}}}}}

- Renunciation of warfare
- Benefiting not only his kingdom, but also
neighbouring rulers [Antiochus & the
Cholas and Pandyas in far south]
{{{{{{The extraordinary significance of the dhamma policy of Ashoka lies in the fact
that we see these ideas of welfarism being adopted and implemented by a ruler almost
2200 years ago in the third century B.C.E.}}}}}}

OTHER ELEMENTS OF ASHOKA’S DHAMMA

He started the dhammayātās instead of vihār-yātās
- Ashoka consider himself as propagator
of Dhamma and gave the re-definition of
righteous conquest.
 - Inscription and pillar edicts reflect his
ideas he has brought about in the
conduct and lives of his people
{{He started the dhammayātās
instead of vihār-yātās. From an administrative point of view these tours
might act as an effective means to know the pulse of public opinion and to reach
out to the common people. They were also useful as inspection tours and in this
sense might be used as a means to keep control over the local bureaucracy.
Through the institution of dhamma-mahāmātras he tried to bring uniformity of
judicial proceedings and punishment.}}}

- He also Laid emphasis on toleration to

overcome tension generated by social,
religious and cultural element.
- Contrary to this, Ashoka banned festive
meeting/gathering perhaps due to his
fear of conflicts
- In spite of his religious eclecticism he
denounced all the useless ceremonies
and sacrifices held under the influence
of superstition
The policy of dhamma was also significant from the point of view of bringing
administrative reforms.
- Message of Dhamma was orally
propagated by officials- kumaras, yutas,
rajukas, mahamatas, anta-mahamatas,
pulisani.
- He also created a special cadre of
Dhamma mahamatas, to spread
 dhamma within kingdom and promoting
welfare and happiness.
The policy of dhamma is politically significant for one more reason. It was in the
form of a universal faith including the common elements of all the faiths. Therefore, it
could be easily acceptable to all sections of the empire. It could act as an effective
means to Sanskritise the semi-civilised population or the forest folk which was at the
fringes of the empire. It could motivate them to join the mainstream of the empire and
thus act as a source of legitimacy for the ruler. It could also lead to the expansion of
the economic base of the empire.

- The Policy Did Not Succeed but in the

twentieth century this welfarist
conception of the state has been
highlighted.
{{{{{ Radha Kumud Mookerji points out that Ashoka talked of certain principles and
tried to practise them which are aspired to in today’s modern world also. To quote
him, “Ashoka gave to his empire certain principles of administration which, in their
breadth of vision and outlook, their spirit of humanity and internationalism, are an
aspiration even to the modern world.}}}}}}}}