Ashoka the Great: From Kalinga War to Dhamma

Political History of the Mauryas

Chandragupta Maurya (321 – 297 BCE)

Chandragupta Maurya invaded north-western India, defeated the governors appointed by Alexander, and occupied those territories. This brought him into conflict with Seleucus Nicator. After defeating Seleucus, Chandragupta married his daughter Helena. According to the treaty, Seleucus ceded Paropanisada (Kabul), Arakosia (Kandahar), Gedrosia (Baluchistan), and Aria (Herat) to Chandragupta, while Chandragupta gave him 500 elephants. Thereafter, cordial and diplomatic relations were established between them.

Seleucus sent his ambassador Megasthenes to Chandragupta’s court. Friendly and diplomatic relations between the Mauryas and the Seleucids continued for generations.

According to Hemachandra’s Parishishtaparvan (a Jain text), Chandragupta abdicated the throne in favor of his son Bindusara and went to Shravanabelagola in South India, where he performed the Jain ritual of Sallekhana and died.

Bindusara (297 – 272 BCE)

He was a follower of the Ajivika sect.
Due to his title Amitraghata (“slayer of enemies”), Greek texts called him Amitrochates. Jain texts mention him as Simhasena.
The 16th-century Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Taranatha, in his History of Tibet, wrote that Bindusara conquered the land between the two seas, which implies he might have conquered South India.
Two Greek ambassadors were present in his court:
1. Deimachus, sent by Antiochus I of Syria
2. Dionysius, sent by Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt
According to Greek historians, Antiochus I sent him wine and dried figs as per his request, but refused to send a philosopher.
The Tibetan Buddhist text Divyavadana states that during Bindusara’s reign, a revolt broke out in Takshashila. Bindusara sent his son Ashoka, then governor of Ujjain, to suppress it. Ashoka successfully crushed the revolt.

Ashoka (268 – 232 BCE)

After Bindusara’s death, a war of succession lasted four years. According to the Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa, Ashoka killed all his brothers and ascended the throne.
Inscriptions and literature mention that Ashoka had several wives:
1. Asandhimitta – his chief queen
2. Tishyarakshita – hostile to Buddhism; she attempted to destroy the Bodhi tree at Gaya
3. Padmavati – mother of Kunala
4. Devi of Vidisha – mother of Mahendra and Sanghamitra, who spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka
5. Kauruvaki – mentioned in the Allahabad inscription along with her son Tivara
According to Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, Ashoka’s son Jalauka later became emperor, though other sources do not confirm this.
His daughter Charumati married a Nepalese prince, Devapala, and settled in Nepal.
The most important event of Ashoka’s reign was the Kalinga War. His 13th Rock Edict describes it. In his 8th regnal year (c. 261/260 BCE), he fought against Kalinga. More than 100,000 people died, and over 150,000 were enslaved. Deeply disturbed by this bloodshed, Ashoka renounced wars and embraced the propagation of Dhamma.

Successors of Ashoka

After Ashoka, weak successors ruled, and the Mauryan Empire collapsed within 50 years. According to the Puranas, in his last days Ashoka divided the empire:

The eastern part to his grandson Dasaratha
The western part to his son Kunala

Dasaratha’s inscription in the Nagarjuna caves (Bihar) records the donation of three caves to the Ajivikas.

Kunala’s son Samprati reunited the two kingdoms and is said to have patronized Jainism. The last Mauryan ruler, Brihadratha, was killed by his commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Sunga, marking the end of the Mauryan dynasty.

Ashoka’s Dhamma

After the Kalinga war, Ashoka renounced warfare permanently and formulated a moral code called Dhamma (Sanskrit: Dharma). He proclaimed that he abandoned the drumbeats of war (Bherighosha) and adopted the drumbeats of Dhamma (Dhammaghosha), giving up royal pleasure tours for Dhammayatras.

In his edicts, Ashoka defined Dhamma vaguely:

In the 10th Rock Edict, he said Dhamma means liberation from sin.
In the 2nd Pillar Edict, he said Dhamma means reducing evil and promoting good.

Thus, Dhamma was essentially a universal ethical code, not tied to any religion.

Its purpose was to resolve unrest in society and ensure peaceful coexistence among different communities, sects, and castes.

Principles of Dhamma

From his inscriptions:

Respect for parents and elders (12th Rock Edict)
Kindness to all beings; practice of non-violence (ahimsa)
Rejection of animal sacrifice and certain rituals (9th Rock Edict)
Ban on animal slaughter in royal kitchens (1st Rock Edict)
Promotion of vegetarianism (perhaps the first ruler to do so)
Maintaining good relations with relatives, friends, neighbors (11th Rock Edict)
Respect for monks of all sects, Brahmanas as well as Shramanas (3rd Rock Edict)
Compassion towards slaves and servants
Encouragement of tolerance among religions

Propagation of Dhamma

Ashoka devoted the rest of his life to spreading Dhamma.
He sent his family members, engraved edicts on rocks and pillars, and undertook Dhammayatras.
He appointed special officers called Dhammamahamattas for this purpose.

Dhammamahamattas and regions:

Majjhima → Himalayan region
Majjhantika → Kashmir and Gandhara
Mahadeva → Mysore region
Rakshita → Banavasi (Karnataka)
Yona Dhammarakkhita → Aparanta (Konkan)
Maha Dhammarakkhita → Maharashtra

Impact of Dhamma

Historians differ on how effective Ashoka’s Dhamma was.

The Kandahar bilingual inscription suggests that hunters and fishermen abandoned their professions and took to agriculture due to its influence.
However, across India, its impact was limited.
The common people, bound by caste and sectarian divisions, were not much attracted to such lofty ideals. After Ashoka’s death, his successors ignored it, and the Dhamma disappeared with him.

Dhamma vs. Buddhist Dhamma

Scholars debate whether Ashoka’s Dhamma was identical to Buddhist Dhamma.

Ashoka denounced Vedic sacrifices and animal killing.
In the Bhabru Edict, he expressed his faith in Buddhism and warned against schisms in the Sangha.
He even sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka for Buddhist propagation.

Some argue that Ashoka’s Dhamma was the same as Buddhism. But modern historians disagree, noting:

Ashoka introduced Dhamma after the Kalinga war (8th year), but his Bhabru Edict declaring Buddhist faith came in his 21st year.
Ashoka’s Dhamma mentions heaven, while Buddhism (especially early Buddhism) does not.
His edicts never mention the Four Noble Truths or the Eightfold Path.
He used the titles Devanampiya (“Beloved of the Gods”) and Piyadasi, though Buddhism denies the existence of gods.
He appointed Dhammamahamattas instead of relying on Buddhist monks.
His Dhamma commanded respect for Brahmanas as well as Shramanas, while Buddhism opposed Brahmanical traditions.
Ashoka adopted the 24-spoked wheel (Dharmachakra) as the symbol of Dhamma, whereas Buddhism uses the 8-spoked wheel.

Thus, Ashoka’s Dhamma was secular and universal, different from Buddhist doctrine.

Relevance of Ashoka’s Dhamma

In the 3rd century BCE, Ashoka’s Dhamma addressed the social and religious conflicts of Indian society, promoting unity in diversity.

Even today, its relevance is evident:

It promotes social equality against caste discrimination.
It encourages inter-religious harmony.
It strengthens family and social relations.
It upholds moral values in an age of violence and intolerance.

Recognizing this, the Government of India adopted Ashoka’s 24-spoked Dharma Chakra as part of the national emblem and the national flag.

Ashoka’s Dhamma transcends time, religion, caste, and region, making it more relevant in modern society than ever before.

From Kalinga War to Dhamma: The Transformation of Ashoka (Part-2)