UNIVERSITY OF DELHI

DR. BHIM RAO AMBEDKAR COLLEGE

ASSIGNMENT OF HISTORY

NAME – PIYUSH RAJ

COURSE – B.A. HISTORY HONS.

TOPIC- Discuss the salient features of ashoka's dhamma.

How far do you think it was driven by political consideration?

SUBMIT TO – PROF. SANJAY SHARMA

Discuss the salient features of ashoka's dhamma. How far do you think it was driven
by political consideration?

Ashoka, also known as Ashoka the Great, was an indian emperor of the maurya dynasty, who
ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. A grandson of the dynasty's
founder Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka promoted the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.
Considered by many to be one of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka expanded Chandragupta's
empire to reign over a realm stretching from present-day Afganistan in the west to Bangladesh in
the east. It covered the entire Indian subcontient except for parts of present-day Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Kerala. The empire's capital was Pataliputra(in Magadha, present-day Patna), with
provincial capitals at Taxial and Ujjain.

Ashoka waged a destructive war against the state of Kalinga(modern Odisha),which he conquered
in about 260 BCE.According to an interpretation of his Edicts, he converted to Buddhism after
witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he had waged out of a desire for conquest
and which reportedly directly resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations.
He is remembered for the Ashoka Pillier and edicts, for sending Buddhist Monks to Sri Lanka and
Central Asia, and for establishing monuments marking several significant sites in the life of
Gautama Buddha.

Beyond the Edicts of Ashoka, biographical information about him relies on legends written
centuries later, such as the 2nd-century CE Ashokavadana("Narrative of Ashoka", a part of the
Divyavadana), and in the Sri Lankan text Mahavamas("Great Chronicle"). The emblem of the
modern Republic of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka. His Sanskrit name
"Aśoka" means "painless, without sorrow" . In his edicts, he is referred to as Devānāmpriya (Pali
Devānaṃpiya or "the Beloved of the Gods"), and Priyadarśin or Priyadarshi (Pali Piyadas or "He
who regards everyone with affection"). His fondness for a tree is the reason for his name being
connected to the "Ashoka tree" or Polyalthia longifolia, and this is referenced in the Ashokavadana.

Different historians have different concept about Ashoka’s Dhamma, because of his personal faith
in Buddhism. Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions are about dhamma( the Prakrit form of dharma) . The
theme of Dhamma was acceptable to people belonging to any religious sect. Dhamma was not
defined in terms of rules and regulations. Of the basic principles, Asoka laid more stress on
toleration. Toleration according to him was of two kinds: toleration of people themselves and also
of their beliefs and ideas, as mentioned in rock edict 12. The theme of ahimsa (non-injury) is an
important aspect of Ashoka’s dhamma and is very frequently mentioned. Rock edict I speaks of
ban on animal sacrifices, (at some or all places) and on certain type of festive gatherings that
probably included killing of animals, as also its reduction in the royal kitchen. The good conduct
and social responsibilities were one of the chores of Ashoka’s dhamma policy. He attacked the
useless ceremonies and sacrifices held as a result of superstitious beliefs as those meant for a safe
journey or a quick recovery from illness. Rock edict 9 begins with the criticism of these
ceremonies. Rock edict 11 refers to the gift of dhamma being the best of all gifts. Pillar edict 2
describes dhamma as consisting of the least amount of sin, performing many virtuous deeds,
compassion, liberality, truthfulness and purity. Ashoka’s inscriptions speaks about of the dhamma
of the King. Rock edict 6 talks of his ideals and goals- to promote the welfare of all his people,
discharge the debts of the people, and ensure happiness in the world.

In the 13th major rock edict, Ashoka recounts of the war against Kalinga eight years after his
coronation, thereafter his reasoned critique of war, pointing out that it led directly or indirectly to
suffering for all. According to pillar edict 6, the practice of inscribing dhamma edicts on stone
begun 13 years after Ashoka’s coronation. Very few people would have known how to read or
write at the time, so he made elaborate arrangements for its oral propagation. To implement the
policy of Dhamma, Ashoka instituted officers of Dhamma called Dhamma mahamatas. Rock edict
5 speaks of Dhamma mahamatas, spreading Dhamma among Yonas, Kambojas, Gandharas,
Rishtikas and Pitinikas. Historians hold different views about the nature of the dhamma of
Ashoka;s inscriptions. It has been a sort of universal religion -containing certain common
elements in many religious traditions. It has been interpreted as a form of raj-dharma, consisting
of the political and moral principles emphasised in the Brahmanical and Buddhist traditions.
According to Romilla Thapar, the policy of Dhamma did not succeed. It may have been because of
Ashoka’s over anxiety that it has to be accepted or his own weakness when in the latter part of his
reign he became obsessed with Dhamma. Basically, it failed to provide a solution to the problems
which is set out to solve. Thapar has underlined the political rationale behind the propagation of
dhamma. Nevertheless, Ashoka deserves admiration for recognizing the need for a guiding
principle and trying to provide one. According to Upinder Singh, an understanding of Ashoka’s
dhamma has to move beyond textual analysis. The Buddhist element in Ashoka’s dhamma can be
seen in sculptural motifs associated with pillars too.

There is no doubt that Ashoka’s Dhamma was inspired by Buddhist upasaka dhamma but it was
not the same. Dhamma was universal, with respect towards all faiths and sects. It was a moral
code of conduct to be followed by all . His concept of Dhamma-vijaya too had its roots in Buddhist
text, but it went beyond it and encompassed one and all.
Nature of Dhamma

Scholars are not totally unanimous about the exact explanation of the nature of Dhamma. Rhys
Davids understands it as a whole duty of laymen while Smith says that the character of Ashoka’s
teaching is purely human and severely practical. He also identifies the ethics in the edicts as
Buddhist rather than Brahmanical. According to D. C. Sircar, Dhamma was ‘a code of morals
preached by Ashoka probably following what he believed to have been the teachings of Buddha’.
According to H. C. Raychaudhuri, morality is central to Ashoka’s concept of Dhamma. According
to K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, ‘Ashoka’s Dhamma is primarily an ethical social conduct, and it involves
even the animal kingdom within the scope of its all embracing benevolence’. To Romila Thapar,
‘Dhamma was largely an ethical concept related to the individual in the context of his society’. It
seems the crux or core of Ashoka’s Dhamma was to enhance the ethical and moral standards of
people through preaching non violence, respect to other sects, and respect to people in general
etc. Dhamma was also driven by political and geographical compulsions. It was a political
philosophy based on ancient customs to maintain peace, tranquillity and harmony in such vast an
empire. This seems to be an important reason for creating administrative machinery for the
dissemination of the concept amongst people .

The Foreign Policy After Kalinga

After Kalinga Ashoka renounced the path of warfare, and this is amply evidenced by the fact that
he made no attempt to annex his neighbouring countries viz., the Chola, Pandya, Satiyaputra,
Kerelaputra, Ceylon and the realm of Amtiyako Yonaraja, who is identified with Antiochos II
Theos, king of Syria and western Asia. The concept of digvijaya was replaced by the concept of
dhammavijaya. Dhamma of Ashoka brought him in contact with the Hellenistic powers that
included Antiochos II Theos, king of Syria; Ptolemy II Philadelphos, king of Egypt; Magas, king of
Cyrene in North Africa; Antigonos Gonatas, king of Macedonia and Alexander who ruled over
Ephirus. Ashoka looked towards these countries for the expansion of Dhamma through
dhammavijaya. He says, “My neighbours too, should learn this lesson.” The text of the rock edict
XIII says, “conquest of the Law of Piety… has been won by his sacred Majesty…among all his
neighbours as far as six hundred leagues, where the king of Greeks named Antiochos dwells, and
beyond (the realm) of that Antiochos (where dwell) the four kings severally Ptolemy (Turamayo),
Antigonos (Amtekina), Magas (Maga), and Alexander (Alikasudara) (like wise) in the south, the
Cholas and the Pandyas as far as Tambapani…… Even where the dutas of his sacred Majesty do
not penetrate, those people too are hearing his sacred Majesty’s ordinance based upon the Law of
Piety and his instruction in the law, practise and will practise the law.” Because of such serious
efforts undertaken by Ashoka, Buddhism did make a progress in the region around west Asia.
Ceylonese chronicles also mention that envoys were sent to Ceylon and Suvarnabhumi (lower
Burma and Sumatra). Mahendra, perhaps the younger brother or a son of Ashoka along with his
sister Sangamitra, went to Ceylon and successfully secured the conversion of Devanampiya Tissa
and many more people.