Why “Emperor Ashoka” is untouchable for the upper castes of India

This time today, on March 29, 2023, the birth anniversary of Emperor Ashoka was celebrated. By people who have not forgotten the greatness of Ashoka, his contribution to India and his contribution to the spread of Buddhism. But the governments of India ignored that emperor Ashoka, whose state symbol is still used today. Whose Diya Chakra, which is called Ashoka Chakra, is in the tricolor of India. Be it the Congress government, the Janata Dal government, the coalition governments, or now the BJP government, if all the governments of India have ignored Emperor Ashoka, then the question arises why?

By Ashok Das

First thing about Emperor Ashoka. So that you can understand the greatness of Emperor Ashoka.

Emperor Ashoka, mentioned from 304 BC to 232 BC, was a great emperor of the Indian Maurya dynasty. His full name was Devanampriya Ashok. His reign was from 269 BC to 232 BC in ancient India. According to all sources, the empire of Chakravarti emperor Ashoka of the Maurya dynasty had reached from the ranges of Hindukush, Takshashila in the north to Godavari river in the south, south of Suvarnagiri hill and Mysore and from Bengal Pataliputra in the east to Afghanistan, Iran, Balochistan in the west. . Emperor Ashoka’s empire was on most of the territory of today’s entire India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, this vast empire has been the largest Indian empire since that time.

For this reason, Emperor Ashoka is called ‘Chakravarti Samrat Ashoka’, which means – ‘Emperor of Emperors’. Only Emperor Ashoka has got this place in India. Emperor Ashoka is also known for better efficient administration and promotion of Buddhism. Because of this, Emperor Ashoka is given a very important status in today’s Buddhist society.

Emperor Ashoka got Buddhism propagated in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, West Asia, Egypt and Greece apart from India. Emperor Ashoka did not lose a single battle in his entire life. Emperor Ashoka sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism.

Despite this, Emperor Ashoka is unseen among the rulers of India. People sitting in power do not mention his greatness. In fact, the people sitting in power in India want to remember Emperor Ashoka as a Chakravarti king, but they do not want to remember Emperor Ashoka as such a great king who had embraced Buddhism and because of which no Not only India but many parts of Asia became Buddhist. Because doing so does not suit them.

In fact, the story of Emperor Ashoka and his association with Buddhism took off after the historic Kalinga war. Although he was already in contact with some Buddhist monks. But when lakhs of people were killed in the Kalinga war, Emperor Ashoka got upset. His heart was filled with kindness and compassion towards humanity. And they vowed never to fight again. From here began the era of Ashoka’s spiritual and Dhamma life. And the great Chakravarti emperor accepted the great Buddhism.

  This identity of Ashoka does not suit the leaders and political parties coming to power in India one after the other. Because if he mentions Emperor Ashoka, then he will have to mention the greatness of Ashoka. All the historical works done during his reign have to be remembered.

They have to be told that 23 universities were established during the time of Emperor Ashoka, in which the world-famous Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Kandahar, etc. universities were prominent. , They have to be told that the intellectuals and historians of the world considered the reign of Emperor Ashoka to be the “Golden Age” of Indian history. They have to be told that it was the reign of Emperor Ashoka, in which India was the “Vishwa Guru” and was called the golden bird. The public was happy, there was no discrimination between the people.

Today’s governments will have to tell that many highways like the most famous highway “Grand Trunk Road” were built during the reign of Emperor Ashoka. Inns were built for people to stay. Even for humans, for the first time “Chikitsalayas” (hospitals) were opened for animals under the rule of human emperor Ashoka. Killing of animals was stopped.

But as I said it does not suit the people in power in India. Because when he mentions Ashoka’s greatness, then the question will arise that why there is no Ashoka-like rule now? The question will arise that when India was Buddhist at the time of Emperor Ashoka, then how did Buddhism end? And in answering this question many people’s masks will come off. The names of many such people will come, history will be scrapped. Governments of India want to suppress that history.

Then the matter of Buddhism will also come. The rulers of India will have to be told that the history of Magadha Empire whose emperor was Ashoka, has been the history of India. They have to be told that Emperor Ashoka, through inscriptions, pillar inscriptions and other records in every corner of his empire, taught the common people the betterment of life apart from morals. It has to be told that two small inscriptions of Ashoka, 14 large inscriptions, 07 pillar articles, three cave articles, four small pillar articles, two memorial pillar articles have been found. Many versions of these inscriptions have been engraved at different places.

They will have to be told that Emperor Ashoka built 84,000 Buddhist stupas for the propagation of Buddhism. The matter just stops here. Because Ashoka’s Buddhist love is a big obstacle in the race to build a Hindu nation.

That’s why the people sitting in power in India will at least use the symbolic symbol engraved in the time of Ashoka, which we know as ‘Ashoka symbol’ and which is the national symbol of India today. They will at least put Emperor Ashoka’s royal symbol “Ashoka Chakra” in their Indian flag. They will consider Emperor Ashoka’s royal symbol “Charmukhi Lion” as Indian “National Symbol”, will give the biggest war honor of the army in the country, “Ashoka Chakra” in the name of Emperor Ashoka, but will not remember Emperor Ashoka of India.

It is surprising that before or after the emperor Ashoka, there has never been a king or emperor who ruled “Akhand Bharat” single-handedly. And with whose name historians around the world put the word “great”. His birth anniversary is not celebrated in his own country, nor is there any public holiday.

Just think, even if Emperor Ashoka had not adopted Buddhism, would the government of India and the people sitting in power since independence ignore him like this? Probably not. Governments may want to forget Emperor Ashoka, but the Ambedkarite society of India respects that emperor even today, he is the one who organizes programs on Ashoka Jayanti, remembers Emperor Ashoka. India, the Government of India will also have to give this great emperor the respect he deserves. The time has come to raise voice for this.

Courtesy : Dalit Dastak

Note: This news piece was originally published in dalitdastak.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights