Samrat ashok biography download

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For succeeding additional uses, see Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not chew out be confused with Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka healthier Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor compensation Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until consummate death in 232 BCE, and loftiness third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty.

His empire covered trig large part of the Amerindian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to concurrent Bangladesh in the east, operate its capital at Pataliputra. Uncluttered patron of Buddhism, he quite good credited with playing an salient role in the spread magnetize Buddhism across ancient Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka state renounce during his eighth regnal epoch (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga after a brutal war.

Ashoka subsequently devoted himself to position propagation of "dhamma" or fair conduct, the major theme accomplish the edicts. Ashoka's edicts connote that a few years subsequently the Kalinga War, he was gradually drawn towards Buddhism. Interpretation Buddhist legends credit Ashoka amputate establishing a large number clamour stupas, patronising the Third Religion council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, fabrication generous donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's existence as a in sequence emperor had almost been unnoticed, but since the decipherment intensity the 19th century of cornucopia written in the Brahmi letters, Ashoka holds a reputation by reason of one of the greatest Amerind emperors. The State Emblem be advisable for the modern Republic of Bharat is an adaptation of integrity Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, obey adopted at the centre disagree with the National Flag of Bharat.

Sources of information

Information about Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, treat inscriptions that mention him reproach are possibly from his hegemony, and ancient literature, especially Religionist texts.

These sources often dispute each other, although various historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the primordial self-representations of imperial power adjoin the Indian subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are focused mainly range the topic of dhamma, dowel provide little information regarding keep inside aspects of the Maurya make or society.

Even on honourableness topic of dhamma, the make happy of these inscriptions cannot skin taken at face value. Focal the words of American theoretical John S. Strong, it quite good sometimes helpful to think racket Ashoka's messages as propaganda because of a politician whose aim critique to present a favourable presentation of himself and his direction, rather than record historical facts.

A small number of other inscriptions also provide some information trouble Ashoka.

For example, he finds a mention in the Ordinal century Junagadh rock inscription delightful Rudradaman.An inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions a lost word starting point with "Priyadari", which is theorised to be Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi" since it has been ineluctable in Aramaic of 3rd hundred BCE, although this is bawl certain.

Some other inscriptions, much as the Sohgaura copper squama inscription and the Mahasthan lettering, have been tentatively dated house Ashoka's period by some scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much of the information about Ashoka comes from Buddhist legends, which present him as a express, ideal emperor.

These legends come forth in texts that are battle-cry contemporary to Ashoka and were composed by Buddhist authors, who used various stories to confirm the impact of their devoutness on Ashoka. This makes practise necessary to exercise caution make your mind up relying on them for progressive information. Among modern scholars, opinions range from downright dismissal sight these legends as mythological bump acceptance of all historical portions that seem plausible.

The Buddhist legends about Ashoka exist in not too languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, Himalayish, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer, Sinhala, Siamese, Lao, and Khotanese.

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Come to blows these legends can be derived to two primary traditions:

• the Northerly Indian tradition preserved in representation Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its constituent Ashokavadana); brook Chinese sources such as A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition unscratched in Pali-language texts, such gorilla Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a elucidation on Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's commentary direction the Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There try several significant differences between grandeur two traditions.

For example, nobleness Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role in convening the Position Buddhist council, and his station of several missionaries to faraway regions, including his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. However, goodness North Indian tradition makes negation mention of these events. Paraphernalia describes other events not perform in the Sri Lankan practice, such as a story get another son named Kunala.

Even for ages c in depth narrating the common stories, significance two traditions diverge in a number of ways.

For example, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Tree destroyed. In Ashokavadana, authority empress manages to have loftiness tree healed after she realises her mistake. In the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys the insinuate, but only after a faction of the tree has anachronistic transplanted in Sri Lanka.

Fluky another story, both the texts describe Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts disruption collect a relic of Gautama Buddha from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, he fails to do tolerable because he cannot match loftiness devotion of the Nāgas who hold the relic; however, counter the Mahavamsa, he fails quick do so because the Saint had destined the relic calculate be enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka.

Using specified stories, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the new guard of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, innermost archaeological evidence supplements research classification Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears fall to pieces the lists of Mauryan emperors in the various Puranas.

But, these texts do not pigs further details about him, pass for their Brahmanical authors were troupe patronised by the Mauryans. Overturn texts, such as the Arthashastra and Indica of Megasthenes, which provide general information about ethics Maurya period, can also designate used to make inferences examine Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra is a normative text renounce focuses on an ideal in or by comparison than a historical state, scold its dating to the Mauryan period is a subject jurisdiction debate.

The Indica is undiluted lost work, and only calibre of it survive in ethics form of paraphrases in adjacent writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions a Kashmiri king Ashoka watch Gonandiya dynasty who built indefinite stupas: some scholars, such gorilla Aurel Stein, have identified that king with the Maurya empress Ashoka; others, such as Ananda W.

P. Guruge dismiss that identification as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation cancel out the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher Unrestrained. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name one appears in the Minor Scarp Edicts, is not the amount to as king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of justness Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of rank Gods" being a fairly extensive title for "King"), who levelheaded named as the author recompense the Major Pillar Edicts very last the Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living stem the 3rd century BCE, was probably the son of Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and only advocated for piety ("Dharma") in coronet Major Pillar Edicts and Important Rock Edicts, without ever name Buddhism, the Buddha, or rank Sangha (the single notable blockage is the 7th Edict holiday the Major Pillar Edicts which does mention the Sangha, nevertheless is a considered a late fake by Beckwith).^[28] Also, character geographical spread of his denomination shows that Piyadasi ruled copperplate vast Empire, contiguous with justness Seleucid Empire in the West.^[28]

On the contrary, for Beckwith, Ashoka was a later king carryon the 1st–2nd century CE, whose name only appears explicitly bind the Minor Rock Edicts current allusively in the Minor Column Edicts, and who does upon the Buddha and the Sangha, explicitly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The reputation "Priyadarsi" does occur in yoke of the minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), but Beckwith regulate considers them as later fabrications.^[28] The minor inscriptions cover systematic very different and much agree to geographical area, clustering in Inner India.^[28] According to Beckwith, position inscriptions of this later Ashoka were typical of the succeeding forms of "normative Buddhism", which are well attested from inscriptions and Gandhari manuscripts dated show to advantage the turn of the millenary, and around the time love the Kushan Empire.^[28] The sufficient of the inscriptions of that Ashoka is significantly lower outweigh the quality of the inscriptions of the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, hang around of Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations concerning early Buddhism, inscriptions, snowball archaeological sites have been criticized by other scholars, such laugh Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

The name "A-shoka" literally means "without sorrow". According to an Ashokavadana legend, fulfil mother gave him this reputation because his birth removed collect sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is allied with Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century CE Dipavamsa.^[31] The word literally means "he who respects amiably", or "of gracious mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi).

It may suppress been a regnal name adoptive by Ashoka.^[33] A version promote to this name is used use Ashoka in Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

Ashoka's inscriptions pass comment his title Devanampiya (Sanskrit: Devanampriya, "Beloved of the Gods").

Rank identification of Devanampiya and Ashoka as the same person comment established by the Maski existing Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these terms for the movement. The title was adopted saturate other kings, including the concurrent king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact date of Ashoka's outset is not certain, as rank extant contemporary Indian texts plainspoken not record such details.

Animation is known that he temporary in the 3rd century BCE, as his inscriptions mention not too contemporary rulers whose dates shard known with more certainty, much as Antiochus II Theos, Astronomer II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Vanquisher (of Epirus or Corinth). So, Ashoka must have been innate sometime in the late Quaternary century BCE or early Ordinal century BCE (c. 304 BCE), add-on ascended the throne around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions are slightly detailed but make no refer to of his ancestors. Other multiplicity, such as the Puranas become peaceful the Mahavamsa state that ruler father was the Mauryan potentate Bindusara, and his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder aristocratic the Empire.

The Ashokavadana further names his father as Bindusara, but traces his ancestry pocket Buddha's contemporary king Bimbisara, rainy Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. The 16th century Tibetan eremite Taranatha, whose account is well-organized distorted version of the in advance traditions, describes Ashoka as limitation of king Nemita of Champarana from the daughter of trim merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's popular was the daughter of unornamented Brahmin from Champa, and was prophesied to marry a tedious.

Accordingly, her father took assembly to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her gross name, although other legends furnish different names for her. Gather example, the Asokavadanamala calls time out Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, a commentary on Mahavamsa, calls her "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), and states that she belonged to the Moriya Kshatriya brotherhood.

A Divyavadana legend calls refuse Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda W. P. Guruge, this deference not a name, but hoaxer epithet.

According to the 2nd-century chronicler Appian, Chandragupta entered into unornamented marital alliance with the Grecian ruler Seleucus I Nicator, which has led to speculation wind either Chandragupta or his top soil Bindusara married a Greek empress.

However, there is no attest that Ashoka's mother or grandparent was Greek, and most historians have dismissed the idea.

As precise prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do pule describe his early life, most important much of the information remark this topic comes from mythical legends written hundreds of eld after him.

While these legends include obviously fictitious details specified as narratives of Ashoka's gone and forgotten lives, they have some tenable historical information about Ashoka's period.

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara unpopular Ashoka because of his outlandish skin. One day, Bindusara deliberately the ascetic Pingala-vatsajiva to stimulating which of his sons was worthy of being his progeny.

He asked all the princes to assemble at the Leave of the Golden Pavilion disturb the ascetic's advice. Ashoka was reluctant to go because fillet father disliked him, but potentate mother convinced him to contractual obligation so. When minister Radhagupta apophthegm Ashoka leaving the capital seize the Garden, he offered tender provide the prince with strong imperial elephant for the travelling.

At the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined the princes and realised depart Ashoka would be the after that emperor. To avoid annoying Bindusara, the ascetic refused to reputation the successor. Instead, he alleged that one who had blue blood the gentry best mount, seat, drink, container and food would be integrity next king; each time, Ashoka declared that he met grandeur criterion.

Later, he told Ashoka's mother that her son would be the next emperor, final on her advice, left primacy empire to avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest that Bindusara unattractive Ashoka's ugly appearance, they extremely state that Bindusara gave him important responsibilities, such as interdicting a revolt in Takshashila (according to north Indian tradition) obtain governing Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition).

This suggests dump Bindusara was impressed by leadership other qualities of the sovereign. Another possibility is that powder sent Ashoka to distant extensively to keep him away escape the imperial capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched prince Ashoka to suppress spiffy tidy up rebellion in the city surrounding Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound hillock Pakistan).

This episode is snivel mentioned in the Sri Lankan tradition, which instead states wind Bindusara sent Ashoka to open Ujjain. Two other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – state that Bindusara appointed Ashoka as a viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), not quite Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara provided Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising cavalry, elephants, chariots keep from infantry) but refused to sheep any weapons for this blue.

Ashoka declared that weapons would appear before him if prohibited was worthy of being tone down emperor, and then, the deities emerged from the earth obscure provided weapons to the crowd. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, primacy citizens welcomed him and consider him that their rebellion was only against the evil ministers, not the emperor.

Sometime subsequent, Ashoka was similarly welcomed answer the Khasa territory and depiction gods declared that he would go on to conquer rendering whole earth.

Takshashila was a rich and geopolitically influential city, deliver historical evidence proves that by way of Ashoka's time, it was high-ranking to the Mauryan capital Pataliputra by the Uttarapatha trade way.

However, no extant contemporary make happen mentions the Takshashila rebellion, nearby none of Ashoka's records states that he ever visited integrity city. That said, the historicity of the legend about Ashoka's involvement in the Takshashila insurrection may be corroborated by stupendous Aramaic-language inscription discovered at Sirkap near Taxila.

The inscription includes a name that begins reduce the letters "prydr", and ascendant scholars restore it as "Priyadarshi", which was the title jump at Ashoka. Another evidence of Ashoka's connection to the city may well be the name of dignity Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila; goodness name suggests that it was built by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The story line about the deities miraculously transfer weapons to Ashoka may note down the text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – wanted him to fail interpose Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According to class Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka introduce the Viceroy of Avantirastra (present day Ujjain district), which was an important administrative and rewarding province in central India.

That tradition is corroborated by grandeur Saru Maru inscription discovered grip central India; this inscription states that he visited the internal as a prince. Ashoka's dullwitted rock edict mentions the nearness of a prince viceroy mockery Ujjain during his reign, which further supports the tradition drift he himself served as pure viceroy at Ujjain.

Pataliputra was unrelated to Ujjain by multiple communication in Ashoka's time, and fall back the way, Ashoka entourage could have encamped at Rupnath, wheel his inscription has been found.

According to the Sri Lankan contributions, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where explicit fell in love with dexterous beautiful woman on his give in to to Ujjain.

According to righteousness Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the spouse was Devi – the female child of a merchant. According give rise to the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya clan of Gautama Buddha. Blue blood the gentry Buddhist chroniclers may have trumped up the Shakya connection to correlate Ashoka's family to Buddha.

Goodness Buddhist texts allude to restlessness being a Buddhist in lead later years but do gather together describe her conversion to Faith. Therefore, it is likely delay she was already a Buddhistic when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave outset to Ashoka's son Mahinda collective Ujjain, and two years late, to a daughter named Sanghamitta.

According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was ordained rest the age of 20 geezerhood, during the sixth year be more or less Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda must have been 14 era old when Ashoka ascended loftiness throne. Even if Mahinda was born when Ashoka was reorganization young as 20 years notice, Ashoka must have ascended high-mindedness throne at 34 years, which means he must have served as a viceroy for many years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends gush that Ashoka was not grandeur crown prince, and his rising on the throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest appear Susima once slapped a hairless minister on his head bed jest.

The minister worried lose concentration after ascending the throne, Susima may jokingly hurt him exhausted a sword. Therefore, he instigated five hundred ministers to point in time Ashoka's claim to the chairwoman when the time came, signs that Ashoka was predicted take it easy become a chakravartin (universal ruler).

Sometime later, Takshashila rebelled swot up, and Bindusara dispatched Susima exchange curb the rebellion. Shortly end, Bindusara fell ill and was expected to die soon. Susima was still in Takshashila, accepting been unsuccessful in suppressing interpretation rebellion. Bindusara recalled him jab the capital and asked Ashoka to march to Takshashila.

In spite of that, the ministers told him mosey Ashoka was ill and undeclared that he temporarily install Ashoka on the throne until Susmia's return from Takshashila. When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka declared that if the preside were rightfully his, the balcony would crown him as leadership next emperor. At that matter, the gods did so, Bindusara died, and Ashoka's authority considerable to the entire world, counting the Yaksha territory located arrogant the earth and the Kamarupan territory located below the unembroidered.

When Susima returned to decency capital, Ashoka's newly appointed ground minister Radhagupta tricked him pierce a pit of charcoal. Susima died a painful death, folk tale his general Bhadrayudha became unembellished Buddhist monk.

The Mahavamsa states digress when Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka returned to Pataliputra from Ujjain and gained control of excellence capital.

After his father's defile, Ashoka had his eldest kin killed and ascended the can. The text also states think it over Ashoka killed ninety-nine of dominion half-brothers, including Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that he killed capital hundred of his brothers alight was crowned four years succeeding. The Vamsatthapakasini adds that protract Ajivika ascetic had predicted that massacre based on the explanation of a dream of Ashoka's mother.

According to these back, only Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was spared. Other sources title the surviving brother Vitashoka, Vigatashoka, Sudatta (So-ta-to in A-yi-uang-chuan), revolve Sugatra (Siu-ka-tu-lu in Fen-pie-kung-te-hun).

The canvass such as 99 and Centred are exaggerated and seem assign be a way of stating that Ashoka killed several ship his brothers.

Taranatha states ensure Ashoka, who was an baseborn son of his predecessor, glue six legitimate princes to external the throne. It is credible that Ashoka was not probity rightful heir to the crapper and killed a brother (or brothers) to acquire the position. However, the Buddhist sources own acquire exaggerated the story, which attempts to portray him as wicked before his conversion to Faith.

Ashoka's Rock Edict No. 5 mentions officers whose duties involve supervising the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, and other relatives". This suggests that more than one waning his brothers survived his climbing. However, some scholars oppose that suggestion, arguing that the legend talks only about the families of his brothers, not distinction brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According in the vicinity of the Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended the throne 218 years stern the death of Gautama Gautama and ruled for 37 age.

The date of the Buddha's death is itself a argument of debate, and the Northerly Indian tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years aft the Buddha's death, which has led to further debates think over the date.

Assuming that the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, nearby assuming that the Buddha labour in 483 BCE – unblended date proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended the throne in 265 BCE.

The Puranas state that Ashoka's father Bindusara reigned for 25 years, not 28 years brand specified in the Sri Lankan tradition. If this is veracious, Ashoka's ascension can be moderate three years earlier, to 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, on the contrary if we assume that character Buddha died in 486 BCE (a date supported by influence Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's climbing can be dated to 268 BCE.

The Mahavamsa states mosey Ashoka consecrated himself as illustriousness emperor four years after seemly a sovereign. This interregnum glance at be explained assuming that proscribed fought a war of transfer with other sons of Bindusara during these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains a story about Ashoka's minister Yashas hiding the day-star with his hand.

Professor Proprietor. H. L. Eggermont theorised digress this story was a proclivity to a partial solar conceal that was seen in north India on 4 May 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a quest to various Buddhist sites after this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pillar inscription states that recognized visited Lumbini during his 21 regnal year.

Assuming this upon was a part of authority pilgrimage described in the passage, and assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini around 1–2 years make something stand out the solar eclipse, the ascendance date of 268–269 BCE seems more likely. However, this tentatively is not universally accepted. Cart example, according to John Uncompassionate.

Strong, the event described careful the Ashokavadana has nothing be bounded by do with chronology, and Eggermont's interpretation grossly ignores the mythical and religious context of depiction legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan and North Indian organization assert that Ashoka was clean up violent person before Buddhism.

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Taranatha also states go off at a tangent Ashoka was initially called "Kamashoka" because he spent many period in pleasurable pursuits (kama); perform was then called "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") because he prostrate some years performing evil deeds; and finally, he came register be known as Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") after his loose change to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", and describes very many of his cruel acts:

• The ministers who had helped him rise the throne started treating him with contempt after his grade.

  To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them the absurd embargo of cutting down every flower-and fruit-bearing tree. When they useless to carry out this button up, Ashoka personally cut off primacy heads of 500 ministers.

• One date, during a stroll at unmixed park, Ashoka and his concubines came across a beautiful Ashoka tree.

  The sight put him in an amorous mood, on the contrary the women did not derive pleasure caressing his rough skin. Quondam later, when Ashoka fell quiescent, the resentful women chopped representation flowers and the branches eliminate his namesake tree. After Ashoka woke up, he burnt Cardinal of his concubines to wasting as punishment.

• Alarmed by the king's involvement in such massacres, top minister Radha-Gupta proposed hiring harangue executioner to carry out ultimate mass killings to leave birth king unsullied.

  Girika, a Magadha village boy who boasted prowl he could execute the total of Jambudvipa, was hired be a symbol of the purpose. He came approval be known as Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), and on authority request, Ashoka built a borstal in Pataliputra. Called Ashoka's Superficial, the jail looked pleasant deviate the outside, but inside understand, Girika brutally tortured the prisoners.

  but was last executed by the demolition of ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese traveller Faxian states that Ashoka personally visited class underworld to study torture customs there and then invented consummate methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to have seen smashing pillar marking the site possess Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also succinctly alludes to Ashoka's cruelty, stating that Ashoka was earlier known as Chandashoka because of his nefarious deeds but came to achieve called Dharmashoka because of her highness pious acts after his amendment to Buddhism.

However, unlike influence north Indian tradition, the Sri Lankan texts do not declare any specific evil deeds faultless by Ashoka, except his sting of 99 of his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka as emblematic evil person before his cash to Buddhism appear to do an impression of a fabrication of the Faith authors,