Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya born c 340 BCE

Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta Maurya • born c. 340 BCE • ruled c. 320 BCE – 298 BCE • known in Greek and Roman sources as “Sandrokottos”

Chandragupta (cont. ) • of humble origins “He was of humble origin, but was pushing to acquiring the throne by the superior power of the mind. When after having offended the king of Nanda by his insolence, he was condemned to death by the king, he was saved by the speed of his own feet. . . He gathered bandits and invited Indians to a change of rule. " Justin XV. 4. 15

Meeting with Alexander "Androcottus, when he was a stripling, saw Alexander himself, and we are told that he often said in later times that Alexander narrowly missed making himself master of the country, since its king was hated and despised on account of his baseness and low birth. " Plutarch 62 -3

Nanda Empire

Battle with Seleucus I • "India, after the death of Alexander, had assassinated his prefects, as if shaking the burden of servitude. The author of this liberation was Sandracottos, but he had transformed liberation in servitude after victory, since, after taking the throne, he himself oppressed the very people he has liberated from foreign domination" Justin XV. 4. 12 -13

Seleucus (cont. ) • "Later, as he was preparing war against the prefects of Alexander, a huge wild elephant went to him and took him on his back as if tame, and he became a remarkable fighter and war leader. Having thus acquired royal power, Sandracottos possessed India at the time Seleucos was preparing future glory. " Justin XV. 4. 19

Seleucus (cont. ) • "He (Seleucus) crossed the Indus and waged war with Sandrocottus [Maurya], king of the Indians, who dwelt on the banks of that stream, until they came to an understanding with each other and contracted a marriage relationship. " Appian, History of Rome, The Syrian Wars 55

Pataliputra • "But the Prasii [the inhabitants of Magadha, of whom Sandracottos was king surpass in power and glory every other people, not only in this quarter, but one may say in all India, their capital Palibothra, a very large and wealthy city, after which some call the people itself the Palibothri, -nay even the whole tract along the Ganges. Their king has in his pay a standing army of 600, 000 foot-soldiers, 30, 000 cavalry, and 9, 000 elephants: whence may be formed some conjecture as to the vastness of his resources. " Megasthenes, quoted in Pliny.

Pataliputra (cont. ) • surrounded by wooden walls, 22 miles on each side • 570 towers and 64 gates • university, library, palaces, temples, gardens, parks • state-controlled mines, forests, large farms, granaries, shipyards, cloth-making

Death of Chandrigupta • According to tradition, Chandrigupta retired late in life and adopted the lifestyle of a Jain ascetic • Died peacefully after starving himself to death in 298 BCE

Ashoka the Great

Ashoka • Born in 304 BCE to King Bindusara, son of Chandigrupta • Reigned c. 269 – 232 BCE • Imperial Title - "Devanampiya Piyadassi" ie "He who is the beloved of the Gods who, in turn is his loving servant" • Buddhist tradition has it that Ashoka’s birth was foretold by the Buddha "A hundred years after my death there will be an emperor named Ashoka in Pataliputra. He will rule one of the four continents and adorn Jambudvipa with my relics building eighty four thousand stupas for the welfare of people. He will have them honored by gods and men. His fame will be widespread. His meritorious gift was just this: Jaya threw a handful of dust into the Tathaagata's bowl. " Ashokavadana

2 nd Cent. from Ghandara

Ashoka (cont. ) • developed into a great warrior and statesman • his brothers were suspicious of his ambition and he went into exile for a few years • after his father’s death, a struggle for power ensued and legend has it that Ashoka killed his brothers

The Kalinga War • began in the 9 th year of Ashoka’s reign • Kalinga was a feudal republic near the modern state of Orissa in India • savage battle that left more than 100, 000 Kalingans dead and 10, 000 of Ashoka’s own warriors

Rock Edict XIII Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, conquered the Kalingas eight years after his coronation. [25] One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingas had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the Dhamma, a love for the Dhamma and for instruction in Dhamma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas. Indeed, Beloved-of-the-Gods is deeply pained by the killing, dying and deportation that take place when an unconquered country is conquered. But Beloved-of-the-Gods is pained even more by this -- that Brahmans, ascetics, and householders of different religions who live in those countries, and who are respectful to superiors, to mother and father, to elders, and who behave properly and have strong loyalty towards friends, acquaintances, companions, relatives, servants and employees -- that they are injured, killed or separated from their loved ones. Even those who are not affected (by all this) suffer when they see friends, acquaintances, companions and relatives affected. These misfortunes befall (as a result of war), and this pains Beloved-of-the-Gods. There is no country, except among the Greeks, where these two groups, Brahmans and ascetics, are not found, and there is no country where people are not devoted to one or another religion. [26] Therefore the killing, death or deportation of a hundredth, or even a thousandth part of those who died during the conquest of Kalinga now pains Beloved-of-the-Gods. Now Belovedof-the-Gods thinks that even those who do wrong should be forgiven where forgiveness is possible.

Conversion to Buddhism • The Kalingan war bothered the conscience of Ashoka so greatly that he sought peace via Buddhist philosophy and practice (dharma) • He attempted to then live by Buddhist principles of nonviolence and care & regard for others

Monument Building • Stupas • Viharas – monasteries • Pillars

Devotees Circling a Stupa From Gandhara

Sanchi

Ashokan Pillar - Sarnath

Delhi

Lumbini

Edicts Fragment of the 6 th Rock Edict

7 th Rock Edict Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, desires that all religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire selfcontrol and purity of heart. [14] But people have various desires and various passions, and they may practice all of what they should or only a part of it. But one who receives great gifts yet is lacking in self-control, purity of heart, gratitude and firm devotion, such a person is mean.

13 th Rock Edict • Now it is conquest by Dhamma that Beloved-of-the-Gods considers to be the best conquest. [27] And it (conquest by Dhamma) has been won here, on the borders, even six hundred yojanas away, where the Greek king Antiochos rules, beyond there where the four kings named Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas and Alexander rule, likewise in the south among the Cholas, the Pandyas, and as far as Tamraparni. [28] Here in the king's domain among the Greeks, the Kambojas, the Nabhakas, the Nabhapamkits, the Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Andhras and the Palidas, everywhere people are following Beloved-of-the-Gods' instructions in Dhamma. Even where Beloved-of-the-Gods' envoys have not been, these people too, having heard of the practice of Dhamma and the ordinances and instructions in Dhamma given by Beloved-of-the-Gods, are following it and will continue to do so. This conquest has been won everywhere, and it gives great joy -- the joy which only conquest by Dhamma can give. But even this joy is of little consequence. Beloved-of-the-Gods considers the great fruit to be experienced in the next world to be more important.

Dharma Ambassadors "Thus philosophy, a thing of the highest utility, flourished in antiquity among the barbarians, shedding its light over the nations. And afterwards it came to Greece. First in its ranks were the prophets of the Egyptians; and the Chaldeans among the Assyrians; and the Druids among the Gauls; and the Sramanas among the Bactrians ("Σαρμαναίοι Βάκτρων"); and the philosophers of the Celts; and the Magi of the Persians, who foretold the Saviour's birth, and came into the land of Judaea guided by a star. The Indian gymnosophists are also in the number, and the other barbarian philosophers. And of these there are two classes, some of them called Sramanas ("Σαρμάναι"), and others Brahmins ("Βραφμαναι"). " Clement of Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" Book I, Chapter XV

Bilingual copy of an Ashokan edict - Greek

Ashoka