ASHOKA

ASHOKA

Introduction

The Wheel, which adorns the flag of free India, has kept His memory green. Lord of a vast empire,, after a great victory on the battlefield he grew sick of violence and took an oath never to fight again. He was an ideal ruler. He strove to carry to other lands the light he had won in his life. He dedicated himself to the victories of righteousness.



Author - Mohanachand Keeranagi


Ashoka


"All men are my children. I am like a father to them. As every father desires the good and the happiness of his children, I wish that all men should be happy always."



These are the words of an emperor who lived two thousand and three hundred years ago.



We see in history how even mere chieftains grew arrogant and used their powers selfishly and unjustly. But the emperor who said the above words ruled over the greater part of India. He had the power of life and death over millions of his subjects.



Is it surprising that free India remembers him with admiration?

This emperor was Ashoka (also called ‘Devanampriya Priyadarshi’). The wheel in the abacus of the pillar which he erected as a memorial at Saranath now adorns the national flag of free India.

Who was ‘Priyadarshi’?


The rock inscription of Devanampriya Priyadarshi were being discovered all over India for centuries. But for a long time the identity of this ‘Devanampriya Priyadarshi’ remained a puzzie.


One day in the year 1915 near a village called Maski in Raichur District of Karnataka, a rock inscription was discovered on a hill. In this inscription for the first time the name of Ashoka was found with titles like Devanampriya and Priyadarshi. It was then certain that Devanampriya Priyadarshi was no othe than Ashoka.


The Mauryan Emperor, whose name shone like a very bright star in the history of the world, and whom the world honors and lovers ven two thousand years after his death.

The Emperors


Ashoka was the grandson ofChandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta was the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire. He ruled for about twentyfour years, and then, seeking peace of mind, handed over the reigns of his empire to his son, Bindusara. This Bindusara was the father of Ashoka.



Subhadrangi was the mother of Ashoka. She was the daughter of a poor man of Champakanagar.



As a boy Ashoka was not only active also mischievous. He was a skilful hunter. From the time of Chandragupta Maurya the hunting expedition of the Emperor and the royal family was a splendid sight.



Ashoka was not handsome. But no prince excelled him in valour, courage, dignity, love of adventure and ability in administration. Therefore even as a prince Ashoka was loved and respected by his subjects and by his ministers. Bindusara siscovered the ability of his son quire early and, when Ashoka was still young, appointed him Governor of Avanti.