Mod 6: Ashoka and his Dhamma โ Accession, the Kalinga War, Conversion, Dhamma-Mahamattas, the Third Council and Missions Abroad
Concept
9.11 Ashoka: from Kalinga to the Sangha
๐ซ School level ยท NCERT Class 6โ12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Accession, war and conversion
Ashoka (c. 268โ232 BCE), son of Bindusara, had been viceroy at Ujjayini and was sent to quell a revolt at Taxila. In his edicts he calls himself Devanampiya Piyadasi โ โbeloved of the gods, of gracious lookโ. His personal name โAshokaโ appears only in a few minor rock edicts.
โWhen he had been consecrated eight years, the Beloved of the Gods conquered Kalinga. 150,000 people were deported, 100,000 were killed and many times that number perishedโฆ Afterwards the Beloved of the Gods felt deep remorse.โ From then on he chose dhamma-vijaya (conquest by dhamma) over conquest by war โ but he also warned the forest peoples (atavikas) that he still had power.
| Tradition | Monk |
|---|---|
| Northern (Divyavadana / Ashokavadana) | Upagupta of Mathura |
| Sri Lankan (Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa) | The novice Nigrodha, Ashokaโs nephew |
Minor Rock Edict I says Ashoka was a lay follower (upasaka) for over two and a half years without much zeal, and only then โwent to the Sanghaโ and became zealous. Historians (Thapar, Olivelle, Nayanjot Lahiriโs Ashoka in Ancient India, 2015) see a gradual change, with the Kalinga war as a turning point rather than a single moment.
- Ashoka (c. 268โ232 BCE) = Devanampiya Piyadasi; Kalinga in 8th year (RE XIII).
- Initiated by Upagupta (northern) or Nigrodha (Sri Lankan); gradual change (MRE I).
- Question: How many were killed in Kalinga? Answer: 100,000 (150,000 deported).
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
Question 1: In which Major Rock Edict is Emperor Ashoka's remorse and the conquest of Kalinga documented?
[School] In his inscriptions Ashoka usually calls himself:
[BPSC level] The Kalinga war took place in Ashokaโs regnal year:
[BPSC level] According to RE XIII, the number deported from Kalinga was:
[UPSC level] In the Sri Lankan tradition Ashoka was drawn to Buddhism by the novice:
[UPSC level] Minor Rock Edict I says that before becoming zealous Ashoka had been a lay follower for:
[BSSC pattern] Ashoka warned which group in RE XIII that he still had the power to punish?
One-liners
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How many were killed in Kalinga?
100,000 (150,000 deported).Concept
9.12 What was Ashokaโs dhamma?
๐ซ School level ยท NCERT Class 6โ12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Ethics, officials, council and missions
Ashokaโs dhamma (Sanskrit dharma) was not simply Buddhism. It was a moral code for everyone: obedience to parents, respect for elders and teachers, generosity to Brahmanas and Shramanas, kindness to slaves and servants, non-violence to animals, and tolerance of all sects.
| Edict | Message |
|---|---|
| RE I | Ban on animal sacrifice and festive gatherings (samaja) |
| RE II | Medical care for humans and animals; names Cholas, Pandyas, Satiyaputras, Keralaputras and Tamraparni |
| RE V | Appointment of dhamma-mahamattas in the 13th year |
| RE VIII | Dhamma-yatras replace pleasure tours (vihara-yatras); visit to Sambodhi |
| RE XII | Respect for all sects; restraint in speech (vachaguti); praising oneโs own sect while running down others harms oneโs own |
| RE XIII | Kalinga remorse; dhamma-vijaya; five Greek kings |
| Bhabru (Bairat) | Faith in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha; lists texts for monks |
| Edict name | King |
|---|---|
| Amtiyoga | Antiochus II Theos (Syria) |
| Turamaya | Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Egypt) |
| Amtekina | Antigonus Gonatas (Macedonia) |
| Maka | Magas (Cyrene) |
| Alikasudara | Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth) |
The Third Council met at Pataliputra (c. 250 BCE) under Moggaliputta Tissa. It compiled the Kathavatthu (Abhidhamma Pitaka) and sent missions: Mahinda and Sanghamitta (Ashokaโs son and daughter) to Sri Lanka, Majjhantika to KashmirโGandhara, Sona and Uttara to Suvarnabhumi (Myanmar/Thailand). Sanghamitta took a sapling of the Bodhi tree to Anuradhapura.
- Dhamma: ethics, tolerance (RE XII), welfare (RE II), dhamma-mahamattas (RE V), dhamma-yatras (RE VIII).
- Third Council, Pataliputra, Moggaliputta Tissa; Mahinda & Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka.
- Question: Name the five Greek kings of RE XIII. Answer: Antiochus II, Ptolemy II, Antigonus, Magas, Alexander.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] Dhamma-mahamattas were first appointed, according to RE V, in Ashokaโs regnal year:
[UPSC level] Which edict replaces royal pleasure tours with dhamma-yatras?
[BPSC level] RE II mentions medical facilities for:
[UPSC level] โTuramayaโ named in Ashokaโs RE XIII is:
[BPSC level] The Third Buddhist Council was held at:
[BPSC level] The Third Buddhist Council was presided over by:
[UPSC level] The Abhidhamma text compiled at the Third Council was the:
[School] Ashoka sent his son and daughter to spread Buddhism in:
[BSSC pattern] The missionaries Sona and Uttara were sent to:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Name the five Greek kings of RE XIII.
Antiochus II, Ptolemy II, Antigonus, Magas, Alexander.Concept
๐ฏ UPSC ยท BPSC ยท BSSC ยท State PSC level: PYQs, traps and mains
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| UPSC | Nature of dhamma; RE XII on sects; Kanaganahalli โRanyo Ashokaโ |
| BPSC | Kalinga war; Third Council at Pataliputra; Mahinda |
| BSSC / SSC | Devanampiya Piyadasi; Upagupta |
Which Ashokan edict asks people to honour other sects and warns that praising oneโs own sect while criticising others harms oneโs own sect?
- This is the core of Rock Edict XII, which speaks of samavaya (concord) and vachaguti (restraint in speech).
- Kalinga = RE XIII; dhamma-mahamattas = RE V; tolerance = RE XII.
- Third Council at Pataliputra (Ashoka); Fourth in Kashmir (Kanishka).
- Dhamma โ Buddhism: it never mentions nirvana or the Four Noble Truths.
Model question: โAshokaโs dhamma was a policy of state rather than a personal faith.โ Discuss. Points: moral code for a diverse empire; dhamma-mahamattas; tolerance (RE XII); welfare (RE II); continued force (atavikas, no abolition of death penalty); personal Buddhism (Bhabru, Sambodhi visit, Council); views of Thapar and Olivelle.
- Dhamma โ Buddhism; a policy for a diverse empire.
- Question: Which edict speaks of tolerance among sects? Answer: Rock Edict XII.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[UPSC level] Which statement about Ashokaโs dhamma is correct?
[BPSC level] The Bhabru (Bairat) edict is important because in it Ashoka:
[UPSC level] The term โvachagutiโ in RE XII means:
[BSSC pattern] Which monk of Mathura is credited in the northern tradition with initiating Ashoka?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Which edict speaks of tolerance among sects?
Rock Edict XII.