Episode 12 Ashoka’s Imperial Buddhism

A History of India

Michael Fisher (2016)

Film Review

Ashoka, the first emperor (268 – 232 BC) of the Mauryan empire, eventually conquered nearly all of South Asia. Eight years after ascending the throne, Ashoka overcame fierce Adivasi resistance to conquer Kalinga. Approximately 150,000 Adivasi were killed and 150,000 more enslaved. Thousands more died in the general chaos of battle.

Deep regret over these deaths caused Ashoka to convert to Buddhism. He sent missionaries to Sri Lanka (presently 80% Buddhist). By 250 BC, Buddhism had been systematized across the Mauryan Empire. Ashoka became vegetarian and although he didn’t ban other religions, he prohibited animal sacrifices in the capitol Paliputra. He collected Buddhist relics and built stupas* to protect them. He also erected 40-foot sandstone pillars on the borders of his empire expressing his regret and commitment to protecting slaves and the poor.

He also built roads throughout his empire with shady trees and refreshing wells and appointed governors (sometimes his relatives) to rule directly over provinces.

There were still a dozen Indo-European languages spoken in the Mauryann empire (the elite spoke Sanskrit, while Pali was most popular with the common people). There were four different Dravidian languages spoken in south India.

It was under Ashoka’s rule that the first Indian script developed (sacred texts were memorized prior to the advent of writing). There are three theories about the origin of so-called Bramhi script. The first asserts it developed from Semitic script through contact with Indo-European Aramaic speakers. This was the source of the Kharoshtai script used along Ashoka’s western frontiers. Indian scholars dispute this theory because unlike Aramaic, Brahmi reads from left to rightand has “retroflex”* consonants not present in Aramaic. The second is that Brahmi derived from Indus Valley script, which was made up of 400 pictograms and also read from right to left. The third is that in originated from written symbols developed by merchants to enhance trade.

Brahmi script eventually evolved into North and South Indian script, which are now so divergent they are mutually unintelligible.

Under the early Mauryan empire, Brahmi letters and legal documents were written on flattened palm leaves or wood. Outside coins and stone inscriptions, no permanent evidence of the language survives out. It wasn’t decoded until the 1950s, when coins were discovered with bilingual Brahmi and Greek/Latin inscriptions.

The short lived Mauryan Empire ended in 187 BC after a Brahmin general assassinated the last Mauryan king assassinated the last Mauryan king.

*A stupa is a Buddhist shrine used for meditation.

The film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/366254/366195