Asoka An Enlightened Ruler Essay

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Was Asoka a ruthless conqueror or an enlightened ruler? Asoka, an emperor born in 304 BC, earns the title as an “enlightened ruler.” He guarded his citizens during the Conquest of Kalinga by teaching them how to properly govern, and conquer land non-aggressively, which helped them become a conjoined country. During his reign, he did few malevolent things but he surpassed them with the positive deeds. Some of those accomplishments included providing services for the men he murdered, allowing the citizens who were to be killed to speak with their family, and laboring hard for his people and their futures. Asoka’s conquest in Kalinga caused many deaths in order to protect his people. During the year 261 BC, he proceeded to fight in a conquest in Kalinga. Thus these acts instructed him to create The Edicts of Asoka. The Edicts and a map from various sources state that ”Kalingans killed in battle: 100,000; Died of disease, hunger: 100,000; driven out of the country after the battle: 100,000.” Although he murdered hundreds of thousands of Kalingans, he believed that every soul deserved to be honored. Asoka did this by holding a service for all the lost souls. The …show more content…

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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