Aśoka

Buddhism and the theology that grew out of Śakyamuni’s teaching were indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and slowly evolved following the founders death in 483 BCE. It slowly gained popularity and by the time of Aśoka the Great, Buddhism had become a popular religion which was competing with Hinduism and Jainism for government favor.

Aśoka was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled the entire Indian subcontinent from 269 BCE to 232 BCE. He is remembered as one of India's greatest rulers. His empire consisted of modern Pakistan and Afghanistan in the west, to the current Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra.

While the early part of Aśoka's reign was violent and bloodthirsty, he later became an adherent of the Buddha's teaching following his conquest in the State of Kalinga on the east coast of India in the present-day State of Orissa. Kalinga was a region that staunchly defended its sovereignty and democracy.

The cause of the Kalinga War (265 BCE or 263 BCE) is uncertain. There is speculation that Susima, who was Aśoka’s older brother may have fled to Kalinga and sought refuge there. This enraged the Emperor, and fueled by his anger he was advised by his ministers to attack Kalinga for this act of treachery. Aśoka sent an emissary to demand that Kalinga's royalty submit before his supremacy; however, they refused to submit so Aśoka sent his top general to force them into submission.

The general and his forces were defeated through the skilled tactics of Kalinga's commander-in-chief. Aśoka, was distressed by this defeat, and attacked with the greatest old world invasion ever recorded in Indian history. Kalinga put up a stiff opposition; however they were no match for Aśoka's brutal strength. The entire State of Kalinga was eventually plundered and destroyed. In Aśoka's memoirs he states that approximately one hundred thousand soldiers were killed in the Kalinga army and ten thousand warriors perished in Aśoka's army. Additionally, thousands of innocent men, women and children were either killed or deported from their homeland.

As legend has it, when the war was over, Aśoka ventured out to explore the carnage and all he could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick, which caused him to proclaim:

“What have I done? If this is a victory, what is a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a disturbance? Is there valor in killing innocent children and women? Was this done to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy another's kingdom and splendor? One woman has lost her husband, someone else his or her father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What is this wreckage of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?”

The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism and he used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to new heights, which spread as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. He established Buddhism as his state religion around 260 BCE, and propagated it within his domain and worldwide beginning around 250 BCE. Emperor Aśoka was the first ruler to develop a Buddhist based government.

Aśoka helped to construct Sanchi and Mahabodhi Temple. The Emperor never tried to harm or to destroy non-Buddhist religions, and indeed gave donations to non-Buddhists. Later in his reign, his objectivity was replaced with a partiality towards Buddhism. Aśoka helped and respected both Sramans (Buddhists monks) and Brahmins (Vedic monks). Aśoka also helped to organize the Third Buddhist council (c. 250 BCE) at Pataliputra (today's Patna). It was conducted by the monk Moggaliputta-Tissa who was the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan Emperor Aśoka.

Ashoka (Asoka) Shahrukh Khan Kareena Kapoor with English Sub-Titles