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Place of Ashoka in Indian History and his Contributions. - Nandan Dutta

Place of Ashoka in Indian History and his Contributions.

by - May 08, 2025

Place of Ashoka in Indian History and his Contributions. 



Ashoka's place in world history.


Ashoka's name is shining in glory in the pages of world history. Various historians have compared him with Constantine, Marcus Aurelius, Alexander, Alfred the Great, Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, Akbar, Napoleon - and other notable influential great men; but in reality, their glory pales in comparison to Ashoka.

According to Vincent Smith, among all the men who have ever sat on the throne in all countries, 'the beloved and beloved of the gods' King Ashoka stands like the brightest star among them. His reign was a memorable break in the 'oppressed history of man'.
Paul Malone Orr says that he was not only the greatest human leader of India - he was one of the great philosophical leaders of the world.

Victory in religion instead of war: -
There is no doubt that Ashoka was a skilled warrior. Within a short time of ascending to the throne, he defeated a powerful kingdom like Kalinga, an ally of the Chola, Pandya and other kingdoms, and ensured the security of the Maurya Empire. Accepting the religion of the time and obsessed with military victory, he could easily have earned a lasting reputation as a victorious leader by sending military expeditions to South India - and even outside India. 

Emperor Ashoka did not proceed on that path, but after winning the first war of his life, he forever abandoned the policy of war and dedicated himself to spreading the ideologies of peace, friendship and universal brotherhood. We do not know of any human leader like Ashoka in the pages of the entire world history. Ashoka the conqueror of the world became Ashoka the conqueror of religion and brought about a new consciousness in the history of monarchy in the whole world. During his reign, a new era began in the internal and foreign policy of Magadha.


New doctrine:-
Emperor Ashoka was the first in world history to present a new type of Doctrine ​​or a novel ideal of royal duty. He did not consider the kingship as a means of enjoyment, luxury or self-fulfillment. For him, the kingship was an opportunity for public welfare and humanitarianism. He never considered the subjects as a revenue-generating instrument or an element of exploitation. By declaring the subjects as his children and devoting the state machinery to the welfare of the subjects, he presented a new ideal of public welfare. In this way, he presented the ideal of a Welfare State or a state oriented towards public welfare.

Professor D.D. Kosambi's opinion: -
He declared that, "Sab Munishe Puja Mama" - that is, all people are my children and their welfare is his life's vow. The main goal of Ashoka's royal philosophy was to make his subjects happy in this world and the next. According to Ashoka, by fulfilling this duty, he wanted to repay his debt to life. According to Professor Kosambi, the seeds of Contract Theory are hidden in this royal duty. According to this contract theory, the king got his throne on the condition of the welfare of his subjects.

A ruler who loved his subjects: -
Inspired by the great ideal of fatherhood, he built roads, planted shade trees on both sides of the road, dug wells, built taverns and established hospitals for the welfare of his subjects. He not only worked for the worldly welfare of people - he tried to fulfill his duty as a true father. He entrusted the responsibility of the welfare of the subjects to the royal officials like Rajuka, Yuta, Mahamatara, Dhamma Mahamatras. For the welfare of the women, he appointed 'Stri Adhyaksha Mahamatara'.

Ideals of Peace, Friendship and Love: -
His philanthropy was not limited to his own kingdom - it was also extended to other independent kingdoms in the outside world. Not only humans - he was the first human being in the pages of world history who was committed to the treatment and welfare of animals and birds. To limit the amount of animal slaughter, he introduced several rules, gave up meat eating himself, established animal hospitals in various places and also planted medicinal trees that were beneficial to humans and animals. A true philanthropist and a wise king, Ashoka introduced a new type of foreign policy based on peace, friendship and love. He formed alliances with various countries in India and outside India.


Nature of Buddhism propagated by Ashoka: -
He transformed Buddhism, which was limited to a small region of India, into a world religion. As a result of his tireless efforts, the ideals of love, peace and harmony of the Lord Tathagata spread in the vast regions of Asia, Europe and Africa. Ashoka, a follower of Buddhism, was truly tolerant of other religions and the Buddhism he propagated was liberal and universal in the right sense. He gave place to humanism above religious narrow-mindedness. He used to say, "It is inappropriate to consider one's own religion as superior and another religion as inferior." Brahmins, ascetics, Jains, and others - all were equal to him.

Cultural development and liberality: -
His contribution to Indian language, literature, architecture and sculpture is also unparalleled. As a result of his preaching, the Pali language became the pan-Indian language and books were written in this language. During his reign, Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts were prevalent throughout India. In this way, he strengthened the ideal of pan-Indian unity through language and script. During his reign, numerous stupas, viharas, and chaityas were built. This also brought about a change in Indian art.

According to the historian Smith, Ashoka was the first religious leader of mankind. According to H.G. Wells, Ashoka is the only bright star among thousands of human leaders on the pages of history. 
According to Dr. R.C. Majumder, Ashoka is unparalleled in the history of the world and Ashoka's emergence has glorified India. 
Dr. Radhakumud Mukherjee says that in the history of monarchies of the whole world, no one can be compared with Ashoka as a person and a ruler.

Ashoka was the first emperor of India who politically united the whole of India. He spread one ideology and one language throughout the country. This was his greatest gift for building a country. However, according to some historians, Ashoka's non-violent policy made the country weak, which was one of the reasons for the fall of the Mauryan Empire later. However, this does not diminish Ashoka's greatness in any way. Because, an all-round talented emperor like Ashoka has not been seen in the entire world history. His ideal of kingship earned the respect of the people of the world. Therefore, Ashoka occupies a prominent place in the history of world civilization. He was a great idealistic human leader.

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