Whats the deal with Ashoka? Was he one of the wisest and most

>>3081829
He literally went from Hitler-tier to Gandhi-tier after the Kalinga War. He felt so awful about the deaths in the war that he converted to Buddhism/Jainism (there's some debate on those details). He was also the first major leader to outlaw slavery.

He engaged in several major public works projects, so the outward appearance is certainly that of a rich kingdom. I'm not sure there are any reliable ways of reconstructing the ancient economy, though.

>>3081829
He was like one of those villains who thought all his wars & battles were video games until he saw that the devastation he inflicted on people was all real

>He built schools, hospitals, libraries, wells, temples, roads, and other infrastructure.
>He introduced the idea of death row and appeals for criminals sentenced to death, and gave amnesty to many worthy of life.
>Banned the royal hunt
>Protected many species
>Imported medical plants for his ill subjects
>Planted trees
>Promoted non-violence and vegetarianism

>>3081852
>>3081857
>>3081882

holy fuck!

If this is true then this guy is almost unparalleled in human history.

Do you guys have good sources on all of this?

"Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and serenities and royal highnesses and the like, the name of Ashoka shines, and shines, almost alone, a star."

H.G. Wells

>>3081918
Any source on him will tell you this.

>>3081918
https://archive.org/details/InscriptionsOfAsoka.NewEditionByE.Hultzsch

https://dmoztools.net/Society/History/By_Region/Asia/South_Asia/Personalities/Ashoka/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05tpy82

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0511tm1

>>3081946

I am so happy to have discovered such a man! To act like that, in that time of history, with so much power in his hands (and power is the ultimate corrosive of moral), it is wonderful.

To me Ashoka is greater than Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Alexander.

>>3081971
Pretty much. No point in being an emperor if your subjects are unhappy and suffering through life.

>>3081829
Nice propaganda

Ashoka slaughtered thousands of Jains because they mocked the Buddha

>>3082095
>Ashoka slaughtered thousands of Jains because they mocked the Buddha

I am not doubting you (not a specialist on the matter), but I think it is fair to ask for a source on this.

>>3081829

bump

>>3081918
Some of his laws are written on the Ashoka pillars if I remember right and some of them in multiple languages.

>>3082107
I think its a claim by Hindus/Jains but given his outlook on life seems to have changed drastically(>>3081882), I very much doubt the truthfulness on this claim.

Its like a Muslim leader saying Gandha instituted rape centers around India and raped Muslims, etc. Doesn't fit the image. Now it could be true, it could be that Gandhi is an alien too. There's a small chance of those, but not very likely.

File: IMG_1166.jpg (43KB, 618x412px) Image search: [Google]

43KB, 618x412px

>>3082095
[citation needed]

>>3081829
It's because of him being obsessed with spreading Buddhism that it went all over Asia.

>>3081829
He was lame. I mean, on a personal level, his story is fascinating. But his silly conversion ruined the empire and heritage of his forefathers. The dude manages to expand his empire to unthinked size but then converts to silly pacifist ideology and everything wents to shit. Good fucking job.

Better than most, still, I guess. If your empire is gonna collapse after your death at least make it collapse because you adopted an ideology unfit for a warrior ruler and not because you're a drunk bastard unable to name a successor.

>>3082801

Everything collapses eventually anon

>>3082830
If you care so much about the well being of people you should try to make it last.

>>3082830
It collapsed only 55 years after Ashoka's death.
And at the time it was one of the largest empires to ever exist

>>3082884
>>3082878

>people are responsible for mismanagement that occurs half a century after they die

Really joggs my noggin

>>3082884
Ashoka did nothing wrong, except be succeeded by lesser men.

>>3082904
They are if the "mismanagement" is caused by their decisions, directly or indirectly.

>>3082908

Caesar is responsible for Nero then? Adam is responsible for Hitler?

>>3082801
Alexander's empire collapsed after he died. So he wasn't such a "Great" person was he?