Despite the idea of dhamma being so ‘ideal’, it seemed the empire Ashoka wanted so desperately to create was almost an impossible goal he was trying to achieve. Ashoka’s paternal kingship seemed unrealistic due to the fact that India was a country full of caste, occupational and local jealousies. Did Ashoka honestly believe that such a system would be feasible?
It was also noted that in the latter part of his reign, Ashoka became so obsessed with dhamma that other royal members of the kingdom considered him a danger to the empire. Perhaps this obsession was built over a period of time after realising that his achievement of the perfect empire would fail?
According to the idealised scriptures of the edicts, I believe that what was inscribed assisted us in understanding the character of Ashoka more so than his empire. We can conclude that Ashoka was a tolerant, considerate and dedicated individual, who envisioned the most perfect of empires, where everyone was equal and respected and where animals were not slain. However, when we refer to the edicts for a plausible description of the kingdom, it seems that the empire Ashoka envisioned was as feasible as an oasis in a hot desert.
We must question, if Ashoka was so successful in converting his subjects to Buddhism, why did he hire officers to further enforce the ideas of dhamma every 5 years? Were these officers invasive or forceful in anyway? It seems too much is excluded from the edicts to allow us to develop a good understanding of his empire from only this one source.
During the decline of Ashoka’s rule, it was increasingly evident that the idea of dhamma did not succeed due to the continued presence of social tensions. Although this was not his intention, his policy of non-violence led to the weakening of the army, leaving the country open for invasion. Although Ashoka never achieved the empire he sought, the edicts remain to forever remind us of Ashoka and his remarkable humanity and vision as ‘the Beloved of the Gods’.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mabbett, I. W., “ The Mauryan Empire” in Truth, Myth and Politics in Ancient India, Delhi, 1971
Murphy, Rhoades, A History of Asia (3rd Edition), Longman, London, 2002
Thapar, Romila, Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas, Oxford, 1961, Appendix V, “A Translation of the Edicts of Asoka”
Thapar, Romila, The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2002
Murphy, Rhoades, A History of Asia (3rd Ed), Longman, London, 2000, p. 73
Thapar, Romila, The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2002, p. 200
Mabbett, I., “The Mauryan Empire” in Truth, Myth and Politics in Ancient India, Delhi, 1971, p. 59
Mabbett, “The Mauryan Empire”, p. 66
Thapar, Romila, Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas, Oxford, 1961, Appendix V, “A Translation of the Edicts of Asoka”
Thapar, The Penguin History of Early India, p. 204
Murphy, A History of Asia, p. 73-74
