About Ashoka and His Culture

The Kalinga war led to King Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism. After that, he strove tirelessly to improve and civilise society through the principles of Lord Buddha. The culture of India was greatly impacted by the reign of Ashoka the Great under Buddhist influence. The beliefs and institutions of the King, administration and societal culture changed due to his conversion to Buddhism. Ashoka emphasised compassion towards relatives and animals and treated his subjects as his own children. In this article, we will discuss the culture, i.e. the administration, society, architecture, etc., under the reign of King Ashoka.

Administration Under King Ashoka

• The Mauryan Government had a highly centralised organisation. Ashoka the Great was in charge of his government, with brother Tishya being his deputy
• The crown prince and other kumaras involved in regional administration aided Ashoka as well
• He picked a group of dependable ministers who were always willing to assist him with administrative measures
• Historians believe that throughout Ashoka’s rule, the ministers were consulted before any administrative measures were adopted and during emergencies
• Ashoka maintained his grandfather’s tradition of reaching out to the inner ministers for general and emergency affairs. As a result, the central government’s organisation remained largely intact during Ashoka’s reign

Institutions and Beliefs of King Ashoka

• Ashoka the Great converted to Buddhism later in his rule and strove valiantly to spread Buddha’s teachings in and around India
• He followed the tradition and visited Buddhist shrines on pilgrimages upon becoming a monk. He also gave huge donations to Buddhists
• The King also conducted the Third Buddhist Council and sent missionaries to several places. They were entrusted with propagating the teachings of Lord Buddha to the people.
• Ashoka aspired to be a father figure to his subjects, and he set a high standard for himself
• He frequently requested that his officials inform his people that the King regarded them as his own children. The administrators were also tasked with looking after the people as representatives of the King
• Ashoka recruited Dhamma Mahamatras to spread Dhamma across diverse social classes, including women, while Rajukas were selected to administer justice in the Ashokan empire
• King Ashoka brought about the idea of living and letting live and taught the same to his people
• He stressed animal sympathy and correct behaviour toward family members. His teachings aimed to strengthen the family tradition and existing social classes
• He believed that if people behaved well, they would attain heaven, but he never asserted that they would achieve nirvana, the Buddhist goal
• As a result, Ashoka empire teachings were designed to sustain the current social order based on tolerance. He doesn’t appear to have promoted any form of sectarianism.

Societal Culture During Ashoka’s Reign

• Ashoka the Great formulated the Dhamma, which became the foundation of his generous and tolerant administration
• Ashoka’s Dhamma was based on the ten principles espoused by Lord Buddha. He encouraged people to follow the Dhamma and live in peace and harmony.
• The Ashoka empire despised inappropriate and superstitious rituals
• He restricted the killing of birds and animals. Also, animal slaughter in the imperial kitchen and the sacrifice of animals was strictly prohibited
• He prohibited social gatherings where people overindulged in partying

Architecture During Ashoka’s Rule

• King Ashoka is believed to have greatly influenced early Buddhist art and architecture
• According to Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa, he built around 84,000 viharas or stupas. He is believed to have built several stupas, which are sacred brick piles built in the commemoration of Lord Buddha
• Ashoka the Great is typically attributed to the commencement of stone architecture in India. He is said to have followed the implementation of stone-building skills by the Greeks under Alexander the Great
• He also has his messages of Dhamma inscribed on rock edicts
• The architecture of Ashoka is also notable for its free-standing stone pillars. Monolithic columns were the most common type of stone pillar designed by Ashoka the Great
• A great example of such pillars is found in Sarnath. Several pillars erected by King Ashoka have a few common features.
  • A pradakshina-path and a vedika encircle the pillars.
  • However, they have no apparent bases. Instead, an inflated shaft ascended directly from the water-logged ground, possibly symbolising Yashti, to a tassel-like cap
  • An animal device crowns the abacus. The animal is mostly a lion, an important regal sign in various situations, including the two full ones.

Conclusion

Ashoka the Great followed Buddhist principles to sustain the Indian society during his rule. The rise of cities, arts, trade, and new religions and philosophy contributed to our country’s cultural cohesiveness. Asoka consolidated the country underneath one empire and abolished war as a state policy. He even spread the concept of Dharma Vijaya to faraway lands. Several of his inscriptions suggest that King Ashoka was in contact with different cultures, possibly the Hellenistic kingdoms. He was actively involved in mixing and propagating new cultural concepts outside his immediate surroundings.

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