Asoka was one of India’s greatest leaders. Historians have looked at Asoka as a very positive individual, but more evidence has been uncovered. After looking at the evidence historians has found reasons towards Asoka being more of a conqueror, rather than a peaceful leader. Now people have a question, was Asoka a Ruthless Conqueror or an Enlightened Ruler ?
Asoka, ruler of India from 268 BC to 232 BC, did many deeds during his rein. Many of the things he did has reflected on modern day India. Such as his edicts that had many rules, laws, and sometimes messages for his people( Doc. D). After Asoka ruled India for many years Asoka died in 233 BC.
Then looking at the research I believe that Asoka was an enlightened ruler. From the texts
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When Asoka took over Kalinga, he wanted nothing to do with war ( Doc. C). Then, he converted to Buddhism Asoka meditated for a long time trying to find ways to find peace ( Doc. C). While ruling his empire, he sent out missionaries to try to convert other kingdoms to Buddhism. Also, on Asoka’s sixth rock edicts Asoka states he was going to promote the welfare of the world (Doc. D).
While Asoka was searching for enlightenment, I believe he also found respect. On one of his edicts he states that all faiths should be honored one way or another ( Doc. D). Additionally, Asoka also let his prisoners free for three days to let their family prove their innocence (Doc. D). Asoka’s rock edicts share with us his wish that what he does will be of help to everyone.
Even though historians have found reasons to think Asoka was a ruthless conqueror, Asoka, in my eyes, is still a great leader. He did many things in his rule. Asoka helped grow the Mauryan empire, he went out of his way to find peace, Asoka also cared for his people a lot, and he had a great deal of respect for them also. For these reasons Asoka is still an enlightened
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Asoka was a ruler of Ancient India and has done evil, but good things, so would you think he is a ruthless conqueror or an enlightened ruler? Asoka had been a ruler in 268 BC. He had conquered an emperor, Kalinga. During the war, he had killed many people. Because he felt a great crisis, he decided to seek enlightenment. After seeking enlightenment with a buddhist monk, he helped his citizens. Because Asoka was remorse after the killings of many people, he helped the poor, and spread the Buddha’s beliefs while still honoring the traditions of the Hindu religion in India, proving Asoka really was an enlightened ruler.
After the creation of the Constitution, in the late 1700s there were many individuals who had different opinions on how the Constitution should be practiced. A decent amount of the population believed in “loose construction”, while there were also many people who believed in “strict construction”. The Constitution has created internal problems, for example the Civil War, which had hundreds of thousands of casualties and also caused a split between the union. The factors that led to the failure of the union created by the Constitution were the rise of secession, the ratification of the Compromise of 1850, and the differentiating views on states’ rights.
But some argue that he was ruthless. They say that Asoka was responsible for 200,000 deaths during his conquest of Kalinga. They also say that he displaced 150,000 Kalingans after his conquest. They claim that he had already killed hundreds of thousands of Kalingans and still forced the remaining Kalingans off their land, suggesting that he had no compassion for human life. But Asoka was not ruthless: “…if a hundredth or a thousandth part of those people who were killed or died or were deported when Kalinga was annexed were to suffer…, it would weigh heavily on the mind of the Beloved of the Gods [Asoka]” (Doc E). Asoka had pity for the deaths he caused; and therefore had ruth. And after the war, Asoka realized that the killing of thousands of people was wrong and made it his duty to spread welfare: “…Asoka gave rich gifts to the poor. He consulted with local communities about proper governance, about good conduct…” (Doc C). Asoka overwhelmed his wrongdoings with his many righteous deeds. He killed thousands of people, but he was not
Romila Thapar stated in Oxford University Press that, “Asoka ceased to indulge in wars of aggression,” thus Asoka was enlightened. He chose to protect his people and only take the lives that were too weak. Nevertheless, he did not stop thinking about the idea of war and all the lives that he did take. The Edicts of Asoka states that “[those who were killed] would weigh heavily on the mind of the Beloved of the Gods, Asoka.” Thus he was enlightened in more ways than one. He believed anyone who sinned should always be forgiven for what they had done. And if they repent, they will be given forgiveness and eternal life. If they did not repent, they would be killed, which resembles how he may have an evil side to
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In the 1904 elections for president Theodore Roosevelt ran for reelection in 1904 and in his campaign for presidency and during this he stated that he had worked in the anthracite coal strike to provide everyone with a square deal. The first main target of that Roosevelt had after him winning the presidency again was to take on the railroad industry. Earlier on before Roosevelt's presidency, in 1887 there was the Interstate Commerce Commission that had been used to try to regulate the railroad industry, but ultimately it didn't succeed very much because the courts limited the influence that it could have. Then in 1906 during Roosevelt's mission in creating a square deal for all he created the Hepburn Act that sought to give more regulatory
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Asoka, who practiced Brahmanism, renounced war forever and sought peace in Buddha’s preachings of love and ahimsa. The war developed in him a hatred of all kinds of violence so he gave up hunting and the slaughtering of animals. He became a strict vegetarian. His son, Mahinda, became a Theraveda monk and was sent to introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Asoka spent time piously retracing the steps of the Buddha and raising stupas inscribed with moral injunctions and imperatives at holy places of pilgrimage, and for some two years he became a member of a Buddhist order without relinquishing his role as Emperor.
Society selectively chooses one’s legacy. No one chooses to remember Hitler for his efforts to preserve wildlife. Everyone remembers him for WWII and The Holocaust. But Asoka’s legacy, leader of the Mauryan Empire (located in modern India) from 268-232 BCE, is not so obvious. He was the founding father of India and brilliantly built the Mauryan Empire into a world power. But he also had a dark side, causing debate about his legacy. Asoka was an enlightened ruler because he added Kalinga to India, made many reforms, and promoted welfare.
Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism made a great impact on the Mauryan Empire. If Ashoka continued to be a ruler with such evil ways of enforcement, the people of the Mauryan Empire would not be happy. His conversion to Buddhism saved a lot of lives because of his new belief in ahimsa. Ashoka also sent out many Buddhist missionaries all over the country to spread the religion of Buddhism. Significant events like these were very important events that occurred during the time period of the Mauryan Empire.
noble warrior but he really was a cold blooded killer and a power hungry person.
When Gandhi returned back to India from Europe in 1896 he was sickened. The British Raj had formally taken over, so he decided to make a change and stop the unfair treatment of everyone in India. As Gandhi said himself, “My ambition is no less than to convert the British people though nonviolence and thus make them see the wrong they have done to India..” (Document A, Gandhi). His whole reason of practicing civil disobedience was to show the British that no matter how hard they hit, the people of India would never give up. With these peaceful protests Gandhi made a point to the British, he but a mere man could but tame a ferocious lion. (Document D). Gandhi and his supporters were constantly being attacked and yet they never stopped protesting.