Ashoka

Ashoka's Policy of Dharma:

Ashoka's policy of Dhamma has been a lively topic of discussion among scholars.The word Dhamma is the prakrit form of the Sanskrite word Dharma.Dhamma has been variously translated as piety,moral life,righteousness and so on. But the best way to understand what Ashoka means by Dhamma is to read his edicts.The edicts were written primarily to explain to the people throughout the empire the principles of Dhamma.It must be clearly understood that Dhamma was not any particular religious faith or pratice.Dhamma realated to norms of social behavior and activities in a very general sense.

.Dhamma emphasised on toleration and general behaviour.It emphasises not only toleration of people but also of their ideas. It laid strees on showing consideration towards slavaes and servants; obedience to elders; generosity towards friends, acquaintances and relatives; regard for Brahmanas and Sramanas,etc. Ashoka also pleased for tolerance of different religious sects in an attempt to create a sense of harmony. 

The policy of Dhamma also laid strees on non-violence.Noon-violence was to be pratice by giving up war and conquests and also as a restraint on the killing of animals.

The policy of Dhamma also include certain welfare measure like planting of trees and digging of wells,etc. Ashoka regared ceremonies and sacrifices practiced regularly on various occasions as meaningless. Ashoka appointed a group of officers known as Dhamma mahamattas to implement the policy of Dhamma. their concern was with the well-being of his subjects Ashoka also started Dhamma yatras to propagate Dhamma and establish direct contact with his subjects.

<5> Dhamma On The Mauryan State:

There has been some discussion among histroians about the result of Ashoka's propagation of Dhamma. some histroians believe taht Ashoka'banning of sacrifices and his favour to Buddhists led to Brahmanical reaction.This in turn led to the decline of the Mauryan empire. other believe that the stopping of wars and emphasis on non-violence crippled the military strenght of the empire after the death of Ashoka.

Romila Thapar has shown that Ashoka's Dhamma,apart from being a superb document of his essential humaneness was also an answe to the socio-political need of the contemporary situation.That it was not anti-Brahmanical is proved by the fact that respect for the Brahmanas and Sramanas is an integral part of his Dhamma.his emphasis on non-violence did not blind him to the needs of the state.Thus the ples for tolerance was a wise course of action in an ethnically diverse, religiously varied and class-divided society.

Yet the policy of Dhamma did not succeed. It may have been due to Ashoka's over-anxiety for its acceptance, or to his own weakness when he became obsessed with Dhamma in the latter part of his reign. The social tensions and sectarian conflicts continued. Nevertheless Ashoka deserves admiration, not oly for recongnizing the need for for a social ethic, but for attempting to both and implement such an ethic in his capacity as emperor.