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thePeorian.com
There are many mysteries
about this ancient Indian emperor
who helped transform Buddhism
from a minor sect to a major
world religion.
Ashoka Maurya (Ashoka the
Great) reigned around 250 BCE
and his kingdom extended across
the Indian continent reaching
northwards through the Himala-
yas and eastward towards Kanda-
har. His rise to power was filled
with war and violence (as most
rises to power tended to be back
in the day). However, at what
proved to be his last conquest he
was overwhelmed by the loss of
life and turned to Buddhism. As
a result he sought to govern by
moral force alone and he had an
indelible impact on the Indian
subcontinent.
So why then is so little known
about this great emperor? The
primary reason is that those who
came after him strove to erase his
memory – and for the most part
they did an admirable job. But
many centuries later, archaeolo-
gists and curious locals began
discovering mysterious lettering
on large stones throughout the
region from coast to coast, some
hidden in plain sight while others
were hidden in mountain passes;
some have even been found in
the last couple of years just off the
roadside near Kandahar.
What was first thought to be
Greek or Aramaic turned out to
be Magadhi, the language on
which Sanskrit was founded.
Once the language was deci-
phered it re-revealed the story of
the life and rein of Ashoka, who
became emperor 118 years after
the death of Gotama Buddha.
One of the inscriptions reads:
And these are my instructions
To protect with Dharma
To make happiness through Dharma
And to guard with Dharma.
Thanks to these discoveries,
Charles Allen was able recreate
the life and times of arguably the
greatest emperor of the Indian
subcontinent.
Buddhist Emperors, Barbarous
Americans and Beaujolais
By Kevin Kizer
In
Quick Lit Bits, we take a look at recently published books
across a variety of genre and provide a concise summary
with an occasional smart-aleck comment.
“
ASHOKA: THE SEARCH FOR INDIA’S LOST EMPEROR”
By Charles Allen
Literarea
