World-Wars and World-Views
World-Wars and World-Views
World-Wars and World-Views
Free Online Articles Directory
Why Submit Articles?
Top Authors
Top Articles
FAQ
AB Answers
Publish Article
0 && $.browser.msie ) {
var ie_version = parseInt($.browser.version);
if(ie_version Hello Guest
Login
Login via
Register
Hello
My Home
Sign Out
Email
Password
Remember me?
Lost Password?
Home Page > News and Society > Journalism > World-Wars and World-Views
World-Wars and World-Views
Edit Article |
Posted: Dec 15, 2010 |Comments: 0
|
In around 260 BC, King Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire invaded the Republic of Kalinga, now in modern day Orissa, engaging in a bloody battle that within a short period of time caused such massive destruction that it appalled the chronicles of time. It was the first and the only battle that Ashoka is said to have fought, following which he encountered a profound change of heart and gave up violence. The conquest did make Ashoka an absolute monarch over a great part of the Indian sub-continent; the change of heart, however, stripped him of any desire for further military conquests. The massive loss of life and suffering caused by this war weighed heavily on the mind of the King and plunged him into deep remorse. On the 13th of his 14 Major Rock Edicts, he inscribes:
On conquering Kalinga the Beloved of the Gods felt remorse, for, when an independent country is conquered, the slaughter, death and deportation of the people is extremely grievous to the Beloved of the Gods and weighs heavily on his mind… Even those who are fortunate to have escaped, and whose love is undiminished, suffer from the misfortunes of their friends, acquaintances, colleagues and relatives…
This inscription of dhamma has been engraved so that any sons or great-grandsons that I may have should not think of gaining new conquests, and in whatever victories they may gain should be satisfied with patience and light punishment. They should only consider conquest by dhamma to be a true conquest, and delight in dhamma should be their whole delight, for this is of value in both this world and the next. [as quoted by John Keay, India: A History, 92-93]
“Herein lies the greatness of Ashoka,” writes R.K. Mookerji, “… at least no victorious monarch in the history of the world is known to have ever given expression to anything like it” [Ibid]. The conversion was total and it unleashed a rare time in the history of India known as the Golden Age of Indian history.
Kalinga and Maurya Empire before invasion of Ashoka (Wiki)Though seemingly deriving several principles of statecraft from Kautilya’s Arthasastra, Akbar resorted to the ideology of dhamma as derived from Buddhism to make the foundation of his rule. Ashoka’s remorse had a ready remedy in the already existing Buddhist dhamma, with which he did have contacts