Ashoka declared himself the ruler of Magadha in 273 BC with the help of Prime Minister Radhagupta, but it took Ashoka 4 years to suppress the rebellion of his brothers. Therefore, Ashoka’s coronation took place in 269 BC. The events in Ashoka’s inscriptions were mentioned only from the year of his coronation. Ashok’s mother Shubhadrangi / Dharma / Janapada Kalyani Ashoka’s first marriage was with Devi/Mahadev, daughter of a merchant of Vidisha (MP). Mahendra and Sanghamitra were his children whom Ashoka had sent to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism. Asandhibhitra was Ashoka’s chief queen after whom Tishyarikshita became the chief queen. Tishyarikshita had damaged the Bodhi tree and blinded Kunal, the son of Ashoka’s other wife Padmavati. In Ashoka’s inscriptions, only the names of his wife Karuvaki and son Teevar are mentioned. The main source of knowledge about Ashoka is his inscriptions. Ashoka has used Brahmi, Kharosthi, Aramaic, and Greek scripts in his inscriptions. Kharosthi script originated from Aramaic script and both these scripts are written from right to left. The language of the inscriptions is Prakrit. The Delhi-Meerut pillar was first discovered by Tieffenthaler in 1750. In 1837, Jains Prinsep read the script of the Delhi Topra pillar. But James Prinsep said that these inscriptions belong to Tishya, a ruler of Sri Lanka because Tishya had also got such inscriptions written in Sri Lanka. In those inscriptions, Ashoka’s title Devanpiyadassi was used and Tishya was a contemporary ruler of Ashoka. In 1915, Beadle found a small inscription from Maski (Karnataka). In 1917, Journey Turner translated it. And told that these inscriptions belong to the Indian ruler Ashoka mentioned in the Sri Lankan book Mahavansh. The name Ashoka is first mentioned in the Maski inscription.
1. Column
The best example of Mauryan period architecture is Ashoka’s pillars. All the pillars are made from sandstones from a place called Chunar in the Mirzapur district of UP. All the pillars were made in Chunar and installed in different parts of the empire. Foreign historians believe that Ashoka’s pillars have the influence of Iranian architecture. Iran’s ruler Darius/Dara also got such pillars constructed in Iran. Crude and then refined pillars have been found in Iran. But there are many differences between the pillars of Darius and Ashoka –
Difference Between Darius & Ashoka’s Column
Darius’s Column
Ashoka’s Column
These pillars are identical from bottom to top.
These pillars have been carved separately and then joined together.
is a wavy or corrugated column
These pillars have been built on posts.
Avangamukhi lotus (inverted lotus) is formed at the bottom of the pillar
The pillars were installed in the palaces
Statues of ancestors were built on the pillars.
uninscribed and unpolished
Gradually becoming thinner from bottom to top
Monolithic, meaning they are carved out of a single rock or stone
flat pillars are
are located at the bottom
Avangamukhi lotus is built on top of the pillar.
have been installed independently in the open.
Statues of animals were made.
There are columns containing articles.
column article
A. Giant Pillars – Inscriptions Giant pillars were found in 6 places.
Delhi-Meerut
Delhi-Topra – It is called Bhimlat, Sunharilat, Shivalikalat or Minar-e-Zarin. The inscription of the Chauhan ruler of Ajmer, Vigraharaj 4th, is written on it. This pillar was brought to Delhi from Topra village of Ambala district of Haryana and Delhi-Meerut from Meerut by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It has been mentioned in Afiq’s book Tarikh-e-Firozshahi and a picture of the boat in which these were brought to Delhi has been drawn in Sirat-e-Firozshahi.
Prayag/Kaushambi – Ashoka installed this pillar in Kaushambi but Akbar installed it in the fort of Allahabad. Prayagprasasti of Samudragupta is written on this pillar.
Lauriya (Nandgarh-Bihar) – This is the most beautiful and safest pillar. It has the writings of Aurangzeb and British officer Ribyun Corne written on it.
Lauriya (Araraj-Bihar)
Rampurkha (Bihar) – Two pillars have been found here. The pillar with inscription has the figure of a lion and the pillar without inscription has the figure of a bull.
Maurya Dynasty
Seven large-column articles
I have ordered the Mahamatras to propagate Dhamma (religion) among the people.
Freedom from sin, kindness, compassion and tolerance towards people is Dhamma.
Man looks at his good deeds but ignores the bad deeds he has done. The five sins of man are mentioned as rudeness, cruelty, anger, pride and jealousy.
Just as a mother feels relieved after handing over her child to a skilled nurse, similarly, for the welfare of the people, I have appointed an officer named Rajjuk and have given him judicial powers and have told him to apply uniform judicial process on the people. A person awarded death sentence should be given 3 days time for repentance.
There are names of 23 animals and birds whose killing is strictly prohibited.
I check the work of my officers from time to time.
This article is written only on the pillar of Delhi-Topra and it mentions the Ajivika and Nirgrantha sects.
B. Short Pillars
1. Rumandei (Nepal) – In the 20th year of his rule, he visited Lumbini and because it was the birthplace of Mahatma Buddha, he abolished religious tax and reduced land revenue tax from 1/6 to 1/8. This gives us information about the economy/tax system of the Maurya period.
2. Niglivasagar (Nepal) – In the 14th year of his rule, he doubled the stupa of Kanakamuni and visited this place in the 20th year.
Kanakamuni is called the mythological Buddha.
3. Prayag/Kaushambi – Ashoka wanted to install it in Kaushambi but it was installed in Prayag by Ashoka himself. It mentions the name of Ashoka’s wife Karuvaki and his brother Teevar.
It mentions the donation made by Karuvaki. It is called Donation Inscription or Queen’s Inscription.
4. Sanchi (MP) & 5. Sarnath (UP) – In both of these it is written that if anyone tries to create a rift in the Buddhist Sangha, he will be made to wear white robes and will be expelled from the Sangha.
Some of Ashoka’s pillars have also been found which are without any inscriptions.
The most famous of these is
the pillar of Sarnath on which four lions are carved. Besides this, four animals are depicted in a moving position – elephant, bull, horse, and lion.
Sanchi – Lion Figure
Rampurva – Shape of Taurus
Sankinsa – Elephant figure
2. Inscription
Big rock inscriptions
Big rocks have been found from 8 places. It is possible that Ashoka wanted to write or got written 14 inscriptions on the rocks at each place. Some rocks have broken with time.
Shahbazgari – Pakistan
Mansehra – Pakistan
Kalsi – Uttarakhand
Girnar – Gujarat – Discovered by James Todd and is the most protected rock
Sopara – Maharashtra
Ernakulam – Andhra Pradesh
Dhauli – Odisha
Jogarh – Odisha
1. 14 major rock edicts
1. First major stone inscription – In this, social celebrations have been prohibited and it is written that where thousands of animals were killed daily in the government school, now only 2 peacocks and only 1. deer will be killed and in future this will also be stopped.
2. Second Major Inscription – The name of Antiochus, the ruler of Syria is mentioned.
Neighbouring kingdoms of Chola, Chera, Pandya, Satiyaputta, Keralaputta, Tamravarni and Sri Lanka are mentioned.
Note:- Megasthenes has written that the ruler of Pandya country was the daughter of Heracles (Shri Krishna).
There is a mention of building hospitals for humans and animals. Apart from this, there is a mention of growing medicinal plants, building roads planting shady trees on the sides of roads, and building inns (Dharamshala) for the stay of travelers.
3. Third major inscription – The salt officer was ordered to go on Dhamma Yatras organized every 5 years along with the regional and Rajjuk. But in Ujjaini and Takshila these Yatras should be organized after 3 years.
4. Fourth major inscription – The policy of Dhammaghosha is better than the policy of war cry.
5. Fifth Major Inscription – In the 13th year of his reign, he appointed an officer named Dhammamahamatr and posted him in the palaces of his brothers and sisters so that they could follow the religion.
If my family follows religion they will either go to heaven or hell.
Apart from this, there is mention of districts like Yavan, Kamboj, Gandhara, Rishthik and Petanika etc.
6. Sixth major inscription – An officer named Pratipadak has been ordered that information related to the empire should be sent to me immediately and for this it is not necessary to take permission from the Council of Ministers (Parisha).
7. Seventh Major Rock Edict: A person following any religion can live in any part of the empire.
8. Eighth Major Inscription – Dhamma Yatra (research) was started from the 10th year of rule.
9. 9th Major Rock Edict: Some women do worthless things, instead of doing things for the sake of Dhamma they should do things for the sake of Dhamma.
10. 10th Major Inscription – The superiority of Dhamma has been described in it.
11. 11th major rock edict – Dhammadan is the best charity. Serving parents, respecting the Guru and helping friends is Dhammadan.
12. 12th Major Inscription – If a follower of one religion insults another religion, it is causing harm to his own religion.
There is mention of officials named Streemahamatra and Brijbhoomik.
13. In the 13th major rock inscription, the Atvik (Jagli) castes have been warned to end their rebellion. Ashoka has mentioned the names of five contemporary foreign rulers.
King of Syria – Antiochus
King of Egypt – Ptolemy II Philadelphus
King of Macedonia – Antigonus
King of Sirin-Magas
Epirus – Alexander
After eight years of rule, i.e. in 261 BC, Kalinga (Orissa) was conquered. In which one lakh people were killed, 1.5 lahks were injured and 1.5 lahks became homeless and I express regret over this.
Note – Who was the ruler of Kalinga at this time is not mentioned in Ashoka’s inscriptions, but Kharavela’s Hathigumma inscription states that at the time of Ashoka’s invasion, Nandaraj was the ruler of Kalinga.
14. 14th Major Inscription – The errors in writing the above thirteen inscriptions have been corrected.
Maurya Dynasty
* The 11th, 12th and 13th articles are not written on the rocks of Dhoti and Jaugarh, but there are two separate articles for it-
1. First separate inscription: All human beings are my children. Just as I wish for the happiness of my children, similarly I also wish for the happiness of my subjects.
2. Second separate inscription: Religion has been propagated in those places where it was not propagated before. These writers are called Kalinga Prajnapati.
B. Minor Inscriptions
1. Bhabru – This inscription was taken on a rock of Bijak Ingri hill situated in the civilization of Bairath. It was deciphered by Captain Burt. Cunningham brought this inscription to the Royal Asiatic Society of Calcutta. That inscription was translated by Kitoi.
Ashoka has expressed his allegiance to the Triratna (three jewels) of Buddhism, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.
This is the longest written record.
Ashoka called himself Magadhadhiraja (King of Magadha).
Names of 7 books of Buddhism are written.
Ashoka’s name is mentioned only in these four inscriptions – Maski, Naittur, Udegolam (all three in Karnataka).
In the Maski inscription, Ashoka has also called himself Buddha Shakya.
Rupnath (MP) – I have adopted Shakya religion 2.5 years ago and since last 1 year I am closer to this religion and with my words I have proved the Brahmins and Shramanas (teachers who go around preaching Vedic literature) to be liars.
Ahrora (UP) – Spent 256 nights outside the capital to propagate Buddhism.
Eragutti (AR) – This inscription has only one line in Kharosthi script. It is the only source of Kharosthi script in India.
Brahmagiri (Karnataka) – It mentions a town called Isila. In the inscriptions of Brahmagiri, Siddhpur and Jatting Rameshwara (all three in Karnataka) a person named Kapad or Chappad has been mentioned as the writer of Ashoka’s inscriptions.
Laghman (Afg.) – written in Aramaic script
Shar-e-Kuna (Afg) – It is written in Aramaic and Greek scripts. It is called a bilingual inscription. It is written in it that because of me, hunters and fishermen have stopped their business.
3. Cavity article
Ashoka donated three caves to the Ajivika community on the Barabar hill (Khasvitak mountain) in the Gaya district of Bihar – Karna Chappar, Sudama and Vishva Jhopdi.
Ashoka’s grandson Dasharatha also donated a cave named Lomash Rishi to the Ajivika sect on this hill and it is the most beautiful cave.
Dasharatha donated three caves to the Ajivika sect on the Nagarjuni Hill in the Gaya district – Gopika Cave, Padthik Cave and Vahthik Cave.
Dasharatha also assumed the title of Devanpiyadassi like Ashoka.
Ashoka’s Dhamma
Ashoka’s Dhamma is inspired by Rahulavadakosutta of the Buddhist text Dighanikaya. The public welfare works done by Agok are called Ashoka’s Dhamma.
According to Deepavamsa and Mahavamsa, a monk named Nigrodha initiated Ashoka into Buddhism, whereas according to Divyavadana, Ashoka was initiated into Buddhism by Upagupta.
After this Ashoka was in the absence of Moggaliputtatissa. Ashoka’s son Mahendra initiated Sri Lanka’s ruler Tishya and daughter Sanghamitra initiated Tishya’s daughter Anula into Buddhism.
After Ashoka’s death in 232 BC, Kunal became the ruler. Ashoka’s son Jalok became the ruler of Kashmir, which Kalhan has mentioned in Rajtarangini.
After the death of Kushal, the Maurya empire was divided. Dasharath became the ruler in the eastern part and Samprati (Jain follower) became the ruler in the western part.
The last Orya ruler Brahmadratha was murdered in 185 BC by his general Pushyamitra Shunga.
