Ashoka S Policy Of Dhamma Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia

2/21/2015

Ashoka 's policy of Dhamma ­ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ashoka 's policy of Dhamma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dhamma is a set of edicts that formed a policy of the
Mauryan emperor Ashoka Maurya (Devanāgarī: अशोक,
IAST: Aśoka), who succeeded to the Mauryan throne in modern­day India around 269 B.C.[1] Many historians consider him as one of the greatest kings of the ancient
India for his policies of public welfare. His policy of
Dhamma has been debated by intellectuals.[2][3]

Ashoka The Great
Maurya Samrat

Contents
1 Definition
2 Historical background
2.1 Socio­economic conditions
2.2 Religious conditions
2.3 Polity
3 Distribution of inscriptions
4 Dhamma causes
5 Edicts

A "Chakravartin" ruler, 1st century BCE/CE.
Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati. Preserved at Musee
Guimet
Reign

268–232 BCE

5.1 Text of the Edicts

Coronation 268 BCE

6 Dhamma and The Mauryan state

Predecessor Bindusara

7 Interpretations

Successor

Dasaratha

8 See also

Dynasty

Maurya

9 References

Born

304 BCE, Close to 7th Aug
Pataliputra, Patna

Died

232 BCE (aged 72)
Pataliputra, Patna

Burial

Cremated 232 BCE, less than 24 hours after death
Ashes immersed in the Ganges River, possibly at Varanasi

10 External links
11 Further reading

Definition

The word Dhamma is the Prakrit form of the Sanskrit
Religion
Buddhism word Dharma.[4][5][6] There have been attempts to define and find equivalent English words for it, such as "piety",
"moral life" and "righteousness" but scholars could not translate it into English because it was coined and used in a specific context. The word Dharma has multiple meanings in the literature and thought of ancient
India. The best way to understand what Ashoka means by Dhamma is to read his edicts, which were written to explain the principles of Dhamma to the people of that time throughout the empire.[7][8][9] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashoka%27s_policy_of_Dhamma&printable=yes 1/13

2/21/2015

Ashoka 's policy of

References: 2.  ^ Singh, Vipul (2009). Longman Vistas 6 (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=018L­tE7ajAC&dq=44). Pearson Education India. p. 44. ISBN 8131729087. 5.  ^ Singh Vipul. Longman Vistas 6 (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=018L­tE7ajAC&dq=44&q). Pearson Education India, 2009. p. 46. ISBN 9788131729083. Retrieved 30 August 2013. 6.  ^ Agarwal, Mirgandra (2005). Philosophy of Inspiration (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=KL3Kl­ E_PH8C&pg). Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 42. ISBN 9781845572808. 7.  ^ Romila Thapar (2004). Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300. University Of California Press. p. 200. 9.  ^ Gupta, K. Manohar (2005). The Āryan Path of the Buddha (http://books.google.co.in/books? id=I5owyPqm1XAC&pg). Sundeep Prakashan. p. 170. ISBN 9788175741560. Retrieved 30 August 2013. 10.  ^ Reddy (2005). General Studies History 4 UPSC (http://books.google.co.in/books? id=yWfeU9eQd5YC&pg=SL1­PA46&dq). Tata McGraw­Hill Education. p. A­46. ISBN 9780070604476. 12.  ^ Ronkin, Noa (2005). Early Buddhist Metaphysics: The Making of a Philosophical Tradition (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=t924rIE8_0cC&pg). Roultledge Curzon. pp. 1–2. ISBN 0415345197. 13.  ^ a b c Hiltebeitel, Alf (2011). Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative South Asia Research (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=SVVnUdGJEaIC&pg). Oxford University Press. p. 747. 14.  ^ a b c d e f Habib, Irfan; Jha, Vivekanand (2005). Mauryan India Volume 4 of People 's history of India (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=ZjBJAAAACAAJ&dq) (2 ed.). Tulika. p. 189. ISBN 9788185229935. 18.  ^ Ergardt, Jan T. (1986). Man and His Destiny: The Release of the Human Mind : a Study of Citta in Relation to Dhamma in Some Ancient Indian Texts (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=hCUVAAAAIAAJ&pg). Brill 19.  ^ Reference: "India: The Ancient Past" p.113, Burjor Avari, Routledge, ISBN 0­415­35615­6 20.  ^ Reddy (2005). General Studies History 4 Upsc (http://books.google.co.in/books? 25.  ^ a b c d Romila Thapar (2003). The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=HqmyEbLScZ4C&pg). Penguin UK. p. 592. ISBN 9780141937427. 26.  ^ Upinder Singh (2009). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&dq). Pearson Education India, 2009. pp. 326, 327. 27.  ^ Romila Thapar (1987). The Mauryas Revisited (http://books.google.co.in/books? ei=Qg0hUubUB9HjrAfuyYCYDA&id). Centre for Studies in Social Sciences. ISBN 9788170740216. Retrieved 28.  ^ Daniel M. Veidlinger (2006). Spreading the Dhamma: Writing, Orality, And Textual Transmission in Buddhist Northern Thailand (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=RXDJTgKlf3MC&pg) (illustrated ed.). University of 30.  ^ Jan T. Ergardt (1986). Man and His Destiny: The Release of the Human Mind : a Study of Citta in Relation to Dhamma in Some Ancient Indian Texts Asian Studies Issue 3 of Studia orientalia lundensia, v. 3 31.  ^ a b c Singh (2007). Longman Panorama History 6 (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=1CVMOEudkx0C&pg). Pearson Education India, 2007. p. 53. ISBN 9788131711743. 32.  ^ a b c d Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, ed. (1988). Age of the Nandas and Mauryas (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=YoAwor58utYC&pg) (illustrated, reprint ed.). Motilal Banarsidass Publisher, 1988. p. 211. ISBN 9788120804661. 34.  ^ Kaushik Roy (2012). Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=vRE3n1VwDTIC&pg). Cambridge University Press. p. 55. 35.  ^ Kaushik Roy (2012). Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=vRE3n1VwDTIC&pg). Cambridge University Press. p. 55.