300 BCE – 232 BCE

Presentation by:-

Sameer Agrawal

ASHOKA BELONGS TO MAURYAN DYNASTY

HE IS THE THIRD KING OF MAURYAN DYNASTY

Birth of Asoka

300 BCE

Marriage

284 BCE

Conversion to Buddhism

263 BCE

Reign begins

272 BCE

Death in

232 BCE

CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYACHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA

(Founder & grand father of Ashoka)

BINDUSARA

(Second king & father of Ashoka)

ASHOKA THE EMPEROR

(Third king)

Founded Mauryan Dynasty in 322 BCGained power shortly after Alexander ‘s death.Was crowned King at TaxilaTaxilaHad capital at PataliputraHis minister Chanakya wrote Arthashastra

BEFORE THE KALINGA WAR

AFTER THE KALINGA WAR

LEGACY OF ASHOKA

BEFORE THE KALINGA WARBEFORE THE KALINGA WAR

Ashoka's reign as emperor

began with a series of wars . He conquered more lands and added them to his empire.

The Kalinga War of 260 BC was the worst of all.

The huge loss of life and suffering witnessed on the battlefield made him turn away from war. So he was deeply influenced by Buddhism, and adopted the dharma principles

AFTER THE KALINGA WAR AFTER THE KALINGA WAR

A. Dharma Principles

B. Spread of Buddhism

C. Ashoka the Administrator

The main principles of dharma (dhamma) nonviolence, tolerance of all sects, obedience to parents, respect for Brahmans , teachers &

priests liberality towards friends, humane treatment of servants,

Ashoka built shrines and monasteries and inscribed Buddhist teachings on rocks and pillars in many places.He sent missionaries to countries.His own son Kunal became a monk & carried Buddhism to Sri Lanka

Ashoka taught and convinced people to love and respect all living things.

He insisted on the recognition of the sanctity of all human life.

He abolished the unnecessary slaughter or mutilation of animals.

Ashoka banned sport hunting & thus protected wildlife.He became vegetarian & most people chose to become

vegetarians on their own. He allowed one day leave to prisoners to go outside for

a day of the year.

LEGACIES OF ASHOKALEGACIES OF ASHOKA

SYMBOLIC LEGACY

BOLLYWOOD LEGACY

Indian government has adopted the famous lion capital from his pillar at Sarnath as official national emblem.

After Asoka’s death in 232 BCE the people of India decided to commemorate Ashoka by using his personal chakra. It can still be seen today on the Indian flag.The word chakra is sandskrit and it means cycle or a repeating process.

Asoka’s chakra is also know as the wheel of the dharma (way) and it symbolizes the 24 virtues in Buddhism. Some of these 24 virtues include: love, patience, peacefulness, courage, justice and mercy.

The film-ASHOKA- was directed by Santosh Sivan Santosh Sivan and stars Shahrukh Khan Shahrukh Khan as AshokaAshoka and Kareena Kareena

KapoorKapoor as KaurwakiKaurwaki, a princess of KalingaKalinga

After the death of Asoka's father, Binder Sar, Ashoka and his older brother competed for the throne. The prime minister and other important ministers at the time though Asoka to be more discreet, capable and efficient ruler.

The next three years Ashoka focused on reestablishing peace.

During Asoka's rule theft declined and science, medicine and technology all flourished.

Buddhism received a significant boost of popularity when Ashoka converted to Buddhism.

Asoka married a commoner called Karuwaki, she was a fisher.

He met her before his reign when he was sent to Taxshila to subdue an uprising as a general of the Mauryan empire.

Due to Ashoka’s success in the quelling of the uprising and his growing popularity, his step-brothers forced him into exile to prevent him from obtaining the throne.

Asoka however returned two years later being summoned by the emperor to quell another uprising.

Before Ashoka’s conquest of Kalinga he was known as Chandashok ( Chanda-cruel, shok-associated with Hindu goddess of eternal energy) Asoka was considered a bloodthirsty and power greedy individual. It was not until later, after the conquest of Kalinga, where Asoka received his revelation that he was considered great.

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