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    Ashoka Dhamma

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    1) Ashoka, after conquering the kingdom of Kalinga, was remorseful for the violence and adopted Buddhism. 2) He introduced the policy of Dhamma to address socio-economic changes, religious diversity, and the complexity of governing a vast empire with many cultures and faiths. 3) Dhamma promoted principles of righteousness, morality, and harmony that would be widely accepted and help unite the diverse people of the Mauryan empire.

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    Ashoka Dhamma

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    1) Ashoka, after conquering the kingdom of Kalinga, was remorseful for the violence and adopted Buddhism. 2) He introduced the policy of Dhamma to address socio-economic changes, religious diversity, and the complexity of governing a vast empire with many cultures and faiths. 3) Dhamma promoted principles of righteousness, morality, and harmony that would be widely accepted and help unite the diverse people of the Mauryan empire.

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    1) Ashoka, after conquering the kingdom of Kalinga, was remorseful for the violence and adopted Buddhism. 2) He introduced the policy of Dhamma to address socio-economic changes, religious diversity, and the complexity of governing a vast empire with many cultures and faiths. 3) Dhamma promoted principles of righteousness, morality, and harmony that would be widely accepted and help unite the diverse people of the Mauryan empire.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    13 views9 pages

    Ashoka Dhamma

    Uploaded by

    kidsgaming45202
    1) Ashoka, after conquering the kingdom of Kalinga, was remorseful for the violence and adopted Buddhism. 2) He introduced the policy of Dhamma to address socio-economic changes, religious diversity, and the complexity of governing a vast empire with many cultures and faiths. 3) Dhamma promoted principles of righteousness, morality, and harmony that would be widely accepted and help unite the diverse people of the Mauryan empire.

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    of 9

    ASHOKA’S POLICY OF

    DHAMMA

    Historical Background
    Introduction
    • Ashoka the son of Bindusara succeeded to the Mauryan throne
    in 269 C.E
    • Until about a100 years ago he was merely one of the many
    king mentioned in the Mauryan dynastict list
    • In1837 James Princep deciphered an inscription in Brahmi
    script of a king name Devanampiya Piyadasi(Beloved of God)
    • Later many such inscriptions were discovered
    • In 1915, another version of the edicts was discovered in which
    the king called himself Devanampiya Ashoka
    • That established the fact that that both the name were of the
    same king, Ashoka
    • Ashoka was regarded as one of the greatest king of the ancient
    world
    • His greatness lays not in the vastness of his empire but primarily
    in his character and the principles and ideals for which he strove
    • His only conquest was that of Kalinga(Odisha) which he
    undertook 8 years after his accession
    • Though victorious, the scene of the battle field haunted him
    • His remorse make him to find solace in Buddhism
    • He got converted to Buddhism and contributed greatly in its
    spread in India and aboard
    • This ultimately turned him to Dhamma
    • Dhamma is the Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word
    Dharma
    • It has been variously translated as piety, moral life,
    righteousness
    • But it must be clearly understood that it was not any
    particular religious faith or practices
    • To understand its various aspects and reason for
    formulation it is necessary to sketch its historical
    background
    Socio-Economic background

    • Mauryas period witnessed a change in the economic


    structure
    • Use of iron, resulting in surplus production which in
    turn led to development of trade
    • Changeover took place from a simple rural economy
    to a pattern of economy in which towns and cities
    played an important part
    • The emergence of urban culture by its very logic
    demanded a more flexible social organisation
    • The commercial class had come to the forefront
    • Incorporation of tribes and people from the
    outlaying areas into the social fabric resulted into
    some problem
    • Rigidity of the four fold varna division
    • The commercial class were denied a higher status
    • The rigidity sharpened the division in the society
    • It was this situation which Ashoka inherited when
    he ascended the throne
    • Therefore in an effort to solve some of these
    problem that a complex society faced he introduced
    the policy of Dhamma
    Religious Background

    • Brahmanical hold over society came under increasing


    attack
    • The privileges of the priests, rigidity of caste and
    elaborate rituals were being questioned
    • Existence of other religious sects, such as Buddhism,
    Jainism and Ajivikas
    • Brahmanism still continued to have a strong hold
    • As a result hostility prevail
    • To bring about harmony and mutual trust it is necessary to
    introduce policy that will be acceptable to all
    Political Background
    • State had grown very elaborate and complex
    • Political supremacy of one region(Magadha) over a vast
    territory
    • Comprised of many previous kingdoms and areas where no
    organised states had existed before
    • Existence within this vast territory, various geographical
    regions, multiple culture and diverse faiths, beliefs and
    practices
    • Monopoly of force by a ruling class of which the king was the
    supreme head
    • Existence of an administrative apparatus
    • Appropriation of a very substantial quantity of surplus from
    agriculture, commerce and other sources
    Conclusion

    • The complexity of the state system having diverse economy,


    religion and social structure required an imaginative policy
    with minimal use of force
    • It could not be controlled by an army alone
    • A feasible policy is needed which could reach to all section of
    the society
    • That policy of Dhamma is such an endeavour

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