Ashoka, the Kalinga War and Dhamma
NCERT Class 12 - Themes in Indian History Part I, Chapter 2
Ashoka, the Kalinga War and Dhamma
Ashoka ruled from about 268 to 232 BCE. After the bloodshed of the Kalinga war he gave up war as policy and spent the rest of his reign propagating Dhamma, a code of social ethics addressed to people of every faith.
Titles and identification
- In the edicts he calls himself Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) and Piyadasi (of pleasing appearance) - the name Ashoka appears only in a few, such as the Maski and Gujarra minor rock edicts.
- These few inscriptions are what allowed historians to match the Piyadasi of the edicts with the Ashoka of the Puranas and Buddhist texts.
The Kalinga war
- Fought in about 261 BCE, in the eighth year of his reign.
- Rock Edict XIII describes it - one hundred thousand killed, many times that number dead of other causes, and a hundred and fifty thousand deported.
- The edict records remorse, and states that the king now considers victory by Dhamma the only true victory - Dhammavijaya.
- Kalinga was retained, not given back; what changed was the policy of further conquest.
- Rock Edict XIII is not engraved in Kalinga itself; there the two separate Kalinga edicts were put up instead, addressed to officials about fair treatment of subjects.
What Dhamma actually says
- Respect for elders, teachers and parents; kindness to servants, the poor and prisoners.
- Non-violence towards living beings, and restraint in killing animals for food or ritual.
- Tolerance between sects - Rock Edict XII asks people to honour other sects and not praise their own by running down others.
- Generosity, truthfulness, purity of heart and avoiding useless ceremonies.
- Dhamma is not Buddhism. It contains no mention of the Four Noble Truths, nirvana or the sangha; it is a public ethic for a diverse empire.
The edicts
| Type | Detail |
|---|---|
| Major Rock Edicts | Fourteen, on rocks at the frontiers of the empire |
| Pillar Edicts | Seven, on polished monolithic sandstone pillars |
| Minor Rock Edicts | Include Maski and Gujarra, which name Ashoka |
| Separate Kalinga Edicts | Two, addressed to officers in the conquered province |
| Cave Inscriptions | Barabar caves in Bihar, donated to the Ajivikas |
- Language is mostly Prakrit, written in Brahmi in most of the empire and in Kharosthi in the north-west, at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra.
- At Kandahar the inscriptions are in Greek and Aramaic, showing the empire addressed its western subjects in their own tongue.
- Dhamma Mahamattas, special officers of Dhamma, were appointed to spread this code and look into welfare.
- Ashoka held the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra and sent missions abroad, including Mahendra and Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka.
हिंदी संकेत: धम्म बौद्ध धर्म नहीं है। धम्म एक सार्वजनिक आचार संहिता है - बड़ों का आदर, अहिंसा, सहिष्णुता और दान - जो हर संप्रदाय के लोगों के लिए है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
Factual questions ask which edict describes Kalinga, which edicts name Ashoka, and where Greek and Aramaic were used. Statement-based questions test the claim that Dhamma equals Buddhism - the correct answer is that it does not. Match-the-following pairs edict number with subject.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
Note the political reading of Dhamma - an empire of many languages, sects and tribes needed a common ethic that belonged to none of them. Historians also debate whether Ashoka's turn to non-aggression weakened the empire or simply reflected that there was little left to conquer.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Ashoka returned Kalinga after the war | ✓ Kalinga was retained; only the policy of conquest changed
✗ All edicts are in Brahmi script | ✓ Kharosthi in the north-west, Greek and Aramaic at Kandahar
✗ Rock Edict XIII is found in Kalinga | ✓ It is absent there; two separate Kalinga edicts were put up instead
Ek nazar me
- Ashoka ruled about 268-232 BCE; titles Devanampiya and Piyadasi.
- Maski and Gujarra minor rock edicts give the personal name Ashoka.
- Kalinga war about 261 BCE, described in Rock Edict XIII, which records remorse.
- Dhamma - respect for elders, non-violence, tolerance, charity, no useless ritual.
- Fourteen major rock edicts, seven pillar edicts, minor edicts, separate Kalinga edicts.
- Prakrit in Brahmi and Kharosthi; Greek and Aramaic at Kandahar; Dhamma Mahamattas appointed.