Home

Explore

Programmes

Topics

About

EpisodeTranscript
EPISODE32PILLAROFASHOKA
PillarofAshoka(238BC)erectedinUttarPradesh,India In1947onher21stbirthday,thefutureQueenElizabethIImadeaheartfeltspeechdedicatingheradultlifetothe serviceofherpeople.ShediditinaBBCradiobroadcastfromSouthAfrica: "Thereisamottowhichhasbeenbornbymanyofmyancestorsanoblemotto:'Iserve'.Thosewordswerean inspirationtomanybygoneheirstothethrone,whentheymadetheirknightlydedicationastheycametomanhood." Asshewentontopointoutinherspeech,noneofherforebearscouldhavespokensodirectlytotheirsubjects.She andotherrulersnowhaveahugerangeofmediumsfortheirmessages,butwithoutanyofthesemodern communicationtools,howdorulersreachoutandspeaktotheirpeople,andtellthemoftheircommitmenttotheir welfare?Twothousandyearsago,theIndianEmperorAshokatheGreatcarvedhismessagesinstone. "HeisassociatedwiththeunityofIndiaasoneofthefirstemperorsrulingallovertheland...theentireland." (AmartyaSen) "Itreallyputsatitsheartthewelfare,thehappinessandtheharmonyofthepeople."(MichaelRutland) ThisweekI'mlookingatthegreatpowersofEuropeandAsiaaroundtwothousandyearsago,andtheleaders whoselegaciesarestillwithusintheworldtoday.Theobjectsposeperennialquestions.Whatistherightwayfora leadertorule?Howshouldrulersconstructtheirimageandprojecttheirpower?Howdoesaruleractuallychange thewaythepeoplethink?Today'sleader,AshokatheGreat,tookonavastempireandthroughthestrengthofhis ideasbeganatraditionwhichleadsdirectlytotheidealsofGandhi,andstillflourishestodayatraditionof pluralistic,humane,nonviolentstatecraft.Andit'sthoseideasthatarecarried,literally,bytheobjectforthis programme. I'mwiththeobjectnowit'safragmentofstone,sandstonetobeexact,andit'saboutthesizeofalargecurvedbrick notmuchtolookatall,butitopensupthestoryofoneofthegreatfiguresofworldhistory.Onthestonearetwo linesoftext,inscribedinroundspindlylookinglettersappropriatelyfirstdescribedas"pinmanscript"andthese twolinesaretheremainsofamuchlarger,longertextthatwasoriginallycarvedonagreatcircularcolumn,about 30feethigh(9m)and3feet(1m)indiameter. Ashokahadpillarslikethisputupacrossthewholeofhisempire.They'regreatfeatsofarchitecture,andtheywould standeitheralonebythesideofthehighwaysorinthecitycentresmuchaspublicsculpturedoesinourcity squarestoday.ThesepillarsaredifferentfromtheclassicalcolumnsthatmostofusinEuropearefamiliarwith: they'vegotnobase,andthey'recrownedwithacapitalintheshapeoflotuspetals.Andontopofthemostfamousof allAshoka'spillarsarethefourlionsfacingoutwardthelionsthatarestilloneoftheemblemsofIndiatoday.The pillarthatourfragmentcomesfromwasoriginallyerectedinMeerut,acityjustnorthofDelhi,andthatpillarwas destroyedinanexplosionintheearlyeighteenthcenturyatthepalaceofaMughalruler.Butmanypillarshave survived,andtheyrangeacrossAshoka'sempire,whichcoveredthegreatbulkofthesubcontinent. Thesepillarswereinfactasortofpublicaddresssystem:theirpurposewastocarry,carvedonthem,proclamations oredictsfromAshoka,whichcouldthenbepromulgatedalloverIndiaandbeyond.Wenowknowthatthereare sevenmajoredictsthatwerecarvedonpillars,andourfragmentisfromwhat'sknownasthe"sixthpillaredict"it declarestheEmperorAshoka'sbenevolentpolicytowardseverysectandeveryclassinhisempire: "IconsiderhowImaybringhappinesstothepeople,notonlytorelativesofmineorresidentsofmycapitalcity,but alsotothosewhoarefarremovedfromme.Iactinthesamemannerwithrespecttoall.Iamconcernedsimilarly withallclasses.Moreover,Ihavehonouredallreligioussectswithvariousofferings.ButIconsideritmyprincipal dutytovisitthepeoplepersonally." Ipresumethattheremusthavebeensomebodytoreadthesewordsouttothemostlyunletteredcitizens,andIthink theywouldprobablyhavebeenreceivedwithpleasureandconsiderablerelief,forAshokahadnotalwaysbeenso concernedfortheirwelfare.He'dstartedoutnotasagentle,generousphilosopherbutasaruthlessandbrutal youth,followinginthemilitaryfootstepsofhisgrandfather.HisnamewasChandragupta,andhe'drisentothe thronefollowingamilitarycampaignthatcreatedahugeempirereachingfromKandaharinmodernAfghanistanin thewesttoBangladeshintheeast,andincludingthegreatmajorityofmodernIndia.Itwasthelargestempirein Indianhistory. In268BCAshokatookhisplaceonthethronebutnotwithoutconsiderablestruggle.Buddhistwritingstellusthat hekilled"99ofhisbrothers"presumablymetaphoricalaswellasactualbrothersinordertoobtainthekingship, andthesamewritingscreatealegendofAshoka'spreBuddhistdays,filledwithselfindulgentfrivolityandcruelty. Whenhebecameemperorhesetouttocompletetheoccupationofthewholesubcontinent,andattackedthe independentstateofKalingamoderndayOrissaontheeastcoast.Itwasasavage,brutalassaultandonewhich seemsafterwardstohavethrownAshokaintoastateofterribleremorse.Hechangedhiswholewayoflife, embracingthedefiningconceptof'Dharma',avirtuouspaththatguidesthefollowerthroughalifeofselflessness andpiety,duty,goodconductanddecency.Dharmaisappliedinmanyreligions,includingSikhism,Jainismandof courseHinduismbutAshoka'sideaofDharmawasfilteredthroughtheBuddhistfaith.Hedescribedhisremorse andannouncedhisconversiontohispeoplethrougharockedict:

AHistoryoftheWorld
PillarofAshoka AllepisodesofAHistoryoftheWorld

Findoutmore
Highlights Learning NationsandRegionsMap AHistoryoftheWorldblog

"TheKalingacountrywasconqueredbytheKing,BelovedoftheGods,intheeighthyearofhisreign.150,000 personswerecarriedawaycaptive,100,000wereslain,andmanytimesthatnumberdied.Immediatelyafterthe Kalingashadbeenconquered,theKingbecameintenselydevotedtothestudyofDharma... "TheBelovedoftheGods,conqueroroftheKalingas,ismovedtoremorsenow.Forhehasfeltprofoundsorrowand regretbecauseoftheconquestofapeoplepreviouslyunconqueredinvolvesslaughter,deathanddeportation." Fromnowon,Ashokasetsouttoredeemhimselftoreachouttohispeople.Andtodoso,hewriteshisedictsnotin Sanskrit,theofficiallanguageofthestate,butinlocaldialectdependingwherethey'replacedandineveryday speechasspokenbythepeople. WithhisconversionAshokarenouncedwarasaninstrumentofstatepolicy,andadoptedhumanbenevolenceas thesolutiontotheworld'sproblems.ButwhilehewasinspiredbytheteachingsofBuddhaandhissonwasinfact thefirstBuddhistmissionarytoSriLankahedidn'timposeBuddhismonhisempire.Ashoka'sstatewasinavery particularsenseasecularone.Here'sNobelprizewinningIndianeconomist,AmartyaSen: "Nowsecularism,that'saverybigthing...Thestatehastokeepadistancefromallreligion.Buddhismdoesn't becomeanofficialreligion,exceptingit'stheemperor'sreligion.Butallotherreligionshavetobetoleratedand viewedwithrespect.SosecularismintheIndianformnot'noreligioningovernmentmatters',but'nofavouritismof anyreligionoveranyother'." Religiousfreedom,conquestofself,theneedforallcitizensandleaderstolistentoothersandtodebateideas, humanrightsforallmenandwomentheimportancegiventoeducationandhealth:theseareallideaswhichare stillcentralinBuddhistthinking.There'sstilltodayakingdomintheIndiansubcontinentthatisrunonBuddhist principlesthesmallkingdomofBhutansandwichedbetweennorthernIndiaandChina.MichaelRutlandisa BhutanesecitizenandtheofficialenvoytoBritainfromthisBuddhistmonarchy.Healsotutoredtheformerking,and weaskedhimhowAshoka'sideasmightplayoutinamodernBuddhiststate.Hebeganbyofferingusaquote: "...'ThroughoutmyreignIwillneverruleyouasaking.Iwillprotectyouasaparent,careforyouasabrotherand serveyouasason.AsthekingofaBuddhistnation,mydutyisnotonlytoensureyourhappinesstoday,butto createthefertilegroundfromwhichyoumaygainthefruitsofspiritualpursuitandattaingoodkarma.'NowIwonder ifyoucanguesswhowrotethat?ItcouldwellhavebeenwrittenbytheEmperorAshoka.Butitwasn't.Itwasactually anexcerptfromthecoronationspeech,twoyearsago,ofthe27yearoldfifthkingofBhutan. "Thefourthking,thekingthatIhadthegreatprivilegetoteach,helivedandcontinuestolive,inasmalllogcabin. Thereisnoostentationtothemonarchy.Heisprobablytheonlyexampleofanabsolutemonarchwhohas voluntarilypersuadedhispeopletotakeawayhispowersandhehasinstitutedelectivedemocracy.Thefourthking alsointroducedthephrase'grossnationalhappiness'itarosetobeacontrasttotheconceptof'grossnational product'.Again,asAshokawouldhavefelt,thehappinessandcontentmentofthepeoplewasmoreimportantthan conqueringotherlands.Let'sputthatintotoday'sterminologyofgrossnationalproduct.Andthefifthkinghas followedverymuchtheBuddhistpreceptsofmonarchy." Ashoka'spoliticalandmoralphilosophyasheexpresseditinhisimperialinscriptionsinitiatedatraditionof religioustolerance,nonviolentdebateandacommitmenttotheideaofhappinesswhichhaveanimatedIndian politicalphilosophyeversince.Butandit'sabigbuthisbenevolentempirescarcelyoutlivedhim.Andthatleaves uswiththeuncomfortablequestionofwhethersuchhighidealscansurvivetherealitiesofpoliticalpower. Nevertheless,thiswasarulerwhoreallydidchangethewaythathissubjectsandtheirsuccessorsthought.Ghandi wasanadmirer,aswasNehru,andAshokaeventodayfindshiswayontothecurrencyonalltheIndian banknotesweseeGandhifacingthefourlionsofAshoka'spillar.ThearchitectsofIndianindependencehadhim oftenintheirmind.Here'sAmartyaSenagain: "Sothat'sonepartthedutyoftherulertodogoodtotheworldandtohissubjectsthat'sthepointthatH.G.Wells picksupinlocatingAshokaasabigfigureinthehistoryoftheworld.ButtheonethattheIndiansparticularly emphasisedatthetimeofindependenceishissecularismanddemocracyinAshokanthought.Butheisabigfigure alsoinChina,inJapan,inKorea,inThailand,inSriLanka,andsoheisalsointhatsenseapanAsianfigure." Inthenextprogrammewearedealingwithanotherinscriptionandanotherrulercloselylinkedwithareligious system,butinthiscasethereligionisnowdeadandtherulerisnolongerofanyconsequenceindeedhenever reallywas.ButtheinscriptionisoneofthemostfamousobjectsintheBritishMuseumandpossiblyintheworld becauseit'swrittenontheRosettaStone.

ViewListofObjects ContactAHistoryoftheWorld Help

Mobilesite AdvertiseWithUs AdChoices

TermsofUse Privacy Cookies

AbouttheBBC AccessibilityHelp ContacttheBBC

ParentalGuidance

BBC2014 TheBBCisnotresponsibleforthe
contentofexternalsites.Readmore.