Ashoka was the great Indian king whose kingdom was far and wide, from Tamil Nadu, parts of North India, Sri Lanka, part of Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
In the beginning, Ashoka was a hard ruler. He used his military to expand the empire and created sadistic rules for criminals.
A Chinese traveller named Xuanzang (Hsüan-tsang) who visited India in the 7th century CE, said that 900 years after Ashoka 's death, many still remember the prison the king built in the north, nicknamed, "Ashoka's hell". He had ordered that prisoners should be subject to all imagined and unimagined tortures and nobody should ever leave the prison alive.
It was during the war against Kalinga (present day Orissa) that lead to a pivotal moment in Ashoka's life and in the course of human history. He wanted to conquer Kalinga because it was something that his grandfather attempted to do but failed.
Determined, he led the war without mercy - the conflict took place around 261 BCE and it is considered one of the most brutal and bloodiest wars in world history. Ashoka's army was too powerful for the Kalinga to defend themselves and in the end, there were around 300,000 casualties, the city devastated and thousands of men, women and children prisoners.
Although the king managed to achieve something that his grandfather failed, the aftermath of that war left him horrified. He issued a declaration expressing his regret for the suffering he inflicted on the people of Kalinga and renounced wars.
Instead, he turned to the teachings of Dharma to make amends with his violent past. Instead of focusing on expending his empire, he turned his kingdoms into a prosperous and peaceful empire and encouraged the flourishing of Buddhism.
Ashoka began to issue one of the most famous laws in the history of government and instructed his officials to carve them on rocks and pillars, in line with the local dialects and in a very simple fashion.
The new laws were on about religious freedom and religious tolerance, he instructs his officials to help the poor and the elderly, establishes medical facilities for humans and animals, commands obedience to parents, respect for elders, generosity for all priests and ascetic orders no matter their creed, orders fruit and shade trees to be planted and also wells to be dug along the roads so travellers can benefit from them.
However noble that may be, not many were happy with the laws. Brahman priests view them as a serious limitation to their ancient ceremonies involving animal sacrifices, and hunters along with fishermen were equally angry about this. Even ordinary citizens were upset when they were told that "chaff must not be set on fire along with the living things in it". Brutal or peaceful, it seems that no ruler can fully satisfy the people.
However, Buddhism has a lot to thank Ashoka for. He had established many Buddhist pilgrimage sites, he had a central role in organising the Third Buddhist Council; he supported Buddhist missions all over the empire and even beyond as far as Greece, Egypt and Syria. The Buddhist Theravada tradition claims that a group of Buddhist missionaries sent by Emperor Ashoka introduced the Sthaviravada school (a Buddhist school that no longer exists) in Sri Lanka, about 240 BCE.
Ashoka turned Buddhism into a state religion - Buddhism was a minor religion in India before Ashoka took interest in it and some scholars have proposed that the impact of the Buddha while he was alive was small. Even archaeological evidence for Buddhism between the death of the Buddha and the time of Ashoka is very little but after the time of Ashoka, it became abundant.
He served as an inspiring model of a righteous and tolerant ruler that influenced monarchs from Sri Lanka to Japan. A particular story tells that Ashoka built 84,000 stupas (commemorative Buddhists buildings used as a place of meditation), served as an example to many Chinese and Japanese rulers who imitated Ashoka's initiative.
Eventually, Buddhism died out in India sometime after Ashoka's death, but it remained popular in other Asian countries. The history of mankind changed because a violent king repented his ways and decided to change for the better, thus spreading one of the world's largest spiritual traditions in existence today.
Source: Ancient.eu
Photo source: Ancient World History
Thu Jun 27 2019


The Heartbreaking Truth Behind Malaysian Tamils & The Death Railway
The ill-fated story of 'the railway of death' may have been forgotten by many – or not even known by some younger Malaysians. But this is how our ancestors contributed to the nation we live in today...

'We Must Know & Appreciate History': 'Antha Naal' Director & Host
Here's Astro's interview with the director and host of 'Antha Naal', a local history-related documentary currently airing on Astro Vaanavil HD (CH 201).

Archeologists Find Ancient Skeletal Remains & Hindu-Buddhist Drawings in Perlis
Archeologists have found ancient human skeletal remains and Hindu-Buddhist influenced drawings dating back to the fifth and 10th centuries in Bukit Keteri and Gua Semadong in Perlis.

The 2,500 year-old Indian City that Once Clothed Rome!
Kodumanal is a unassuming village in Tamil Nadu and it would be a stretch - both geographically and imaginatively, to say that it had, or has, anything remotely to do with the city of Rome in Italy.

Why Was Tirupati Given To Andhra Pradesh & Not Tamil Nadu?
The Thirupathi Venkateswara Temple, Thirumala is a famous pilgrimage destination India, where millions of devotees visit this temple yearly to get a glance of the deity - Lord Venkateswara.

Interesting Facts About Subhas Chandra Bose
India's legendary freedom fighter made some pretty radical choices in his life.

Ashoka: The Indian King who changed the world
The history of Ashoka and how he ruled and spread Buddhism

This Song Almost Became Malaysia's National Anthem
Do you know that this song, composed by a British man, "almost" became Malaysia's national anthem? Here's the story...

'Setting a New Standard Worldwide': Rap Porkalam S2 Judges & Mentor on the Show
The second season of Rap Porkalam has now become the standard for Tamil rap competitions worldwide, says local rap legend Yogi B. Here's a chat with him, his fellow judge Navin Navigator, and the mentor, Saint TFC, about their experience being on the show...

Ponniyin Selvan: Local TV Personality Shalini Decodes Aditya Karikalan's Poster
Kollywood is waiting with bated breath for ace director Mani Ratnam's upcoming magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan: I. Here we have local newscaster-cum-TV personality Shalini Priyah Mogan decoding the first look poster of the movie, depicting actor Vikram's Aditya Karikalan character.

Five Kollywood Actresses Who Have The Biggest Instagram Fan Base!
These are some of the Kollywood actresses who have the most number of Instagram followers in recent times...

Have You Ever Read Actress Silk Smitha's Tragic Suicide Note?
The content of the letter Silk Smitha wrote by hand in Telugu before her suicide have now moved fans to tears. The letter is going viral after decades...

'Crazy' Mission Accomplished: Melinder Makes Record with 25-Hours Run on Treadmill
Former national athlete Melinder Kaur has achieved the 'crazy feat" of becoming the first Malaysian woman to run 25 hours non-stop on a treadmill. The 34-year-old also sealed a spot in the Malaysia Book of Records by covering a whopping 123.85km within 24 hours.

Former MIC Deputy President S. Subramaniam Passes Away
Former MIC deputy president S. Subramaniam has died, aged 78.

Five Memorable Kollywood Cameos Of All Time!
These are some of the most memorable special appearances in Tamil cinema...

Superstar Rajinikanth Heaps Praises On Madhavan's Directorial Debut!
Superstar Rajinikanth is impressed with Madhavan's directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. Here's what he posted...

Six Tips to Brave the Scorching Hot Weather
The scorching hot weather is back. Here are six tips to help you brave the hot days ahead.

Youth Leader Makes Country Proud by Winning Esteemed Diana Award
Youth leader Anban Ashlan Raj from Penang has done the country proud by becoming the sole Malaysian recipient of the esteemed 2022 Diana Award.