Whats the deal with Ashoka?
Was he one of the wisest and most compassionate and humane leaders ever, or is this most legend?
Was his government truly prosperous (for the standards of the time)?
Whats the deal with Ashoka?
Lincoln Davis
Sebastian Rogers
He literally went from Hitler-tier to Gandhi-tier after the Kalinga War. He felt so awful about the deaths in the war that he converted to Buddhism/Jainism (there's some debate on those details). He was also the first major leader to outlaw slavery.
He engaged in several major public works projects, so the outward appearance is certainly that of a rich kingdom. I'm not sure there are any reliable ways of reconstructing the ancient economy, though.
Wyatt Flores
He was like one of those villains who thought all his wars & battles were video games until he saw that the devastation he inflicted on people was all real
Cameron Martinez
>He built schools, hospitals, libraries, wells, temples, roads, and other infrastructure.
>He introduced the idea of death row and appeals for criminals sentenced to death, and gave amnesty to many worthy of life.
>Banned the royal hunt
>Protected many species
>Imported medical plants for his ill subjects
>Planted trees
>Promoted non-violence and vegetarianism
Leo Anderson
holy fuck!
If this is true then this guy is almost unparalleled in human history.
Do you guys have good sources on all of this?
Ethan Baker
"Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and serenities and royal highnesses and the like, the name of Ashoka shines, and shines, almost alone, a star."
H.G. Wells
Jason Long
Any source on him will tell you this.
Jeremiah Allen
Carter Cruz
I am so happy to have discovered such a man! To act like that, in that time of history, with so much power in his hands (and power is the ultimate corrosive of moral), it is wonderful.
To me Ashoka is greater than Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Alexander.
David Rivera
Pretty much. No point in being an emperor if your subjects are unhappy and suffering through life.
William Cruz
Nice propaganda
Ashoka slaughtered thousands of Jains because they mocked the Buddha
Michael Bailey
>Ashoka slaughtered thousands of Jains because they mocked the Buddha
I am not doubting you (not a specialist on the matter), but I think it is fair to ask for a source on this.
Ethan Lewis
bump
Ethan Thomas
Some of his laws are written on the Ashoka pillars if I remember right and some of them in multiple languages.
Chase Stewart
I think its a claim by Hindus/Jains but given his outlook on life seems to have changed drastically(), I very much doubt the truthfulness on this claim.
Its like a Muslim leader saying Gandha instituted rape centers around India and raped Muslims, etc. Doesn't fit the image. Now it could be true, it could be that Gandhi is an alien too. There's a small chance of those, but not very likely.
Brandon Torres
[citation needed]
Brody Torres
It's because of him being obsessed with spreading Buddhism that it went all over Asia.
Cameron Price
He was lame. I mean, on a personal level, his story is fascinating. But his silly conversion ruined the empire and heritage of his forefathers. The dude manages to expand his empire to unthinked size but then converts to silly pacifist ideology and everything wents to shit. Good fucking job.
Better than most, still, I guess. If your empire is gonna collapse after your death at least make it collapse because you adopted an ideology unfit for a warrior ruler and not because you're a drunk bastard unable to name a successor.
Ayden Collins
Everything collapses eventually user
Alexander Price
If you care so much about the well being of people you should try to make it last.
Justin Williams
It collapsed only 55 years after Ashoka's death.
And at the time it was one of the largest empires to ever exist
Noah Robinson
>people are responsible for mismanagement that occurs half a century after they die
Really joggs my noggin
Levi Wood
Ashoka did nothing wrong, except be succeeded by lesser men.
Benjamin Ward
They are if the "mismanagement" is caused by their decisions, directly or indirectly.
Jacob Morris
Caesar is responsible for Nero then? Adam is responsible for Hitler?
John Rodriguez
Alexander's empire collapsed after he died. So he wasn't such a "Great" person was he?