Edicts of Ashoka
250 BC · Classical Antiquity
The Emperor, Ashoka the Great, of the Mauryan Empire reigned from 268 BC to 232 BC. He created inscriptions throughout the empire which show his efforts to develop Buddhism with a focus on social and moral precepts rather than specific religious practices. Inscriptions on the Major Rock Pillar are considered by experts to be created in the year 250 BC
Key Figures
Emperor Ashoka (Ashoka the Great)Chanakya (Kautilya)
Locations
PataliputraKalingaGirnarShahbazgarhiMansehra
Topics
ancient historyreligionlawMauryaIndiabuddhism
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Buddha's death crystallized Buddhist doctrine and practices that would later be selectively adopted and reinterpreted by Ashoka, who emphasized Buddhism's moral and social teachings while de-emphasizing ritualistic aspects in his edicts First Star formed
Bimbisara's transformation of Magadha from one of sixteen mahajanapadas into the dominant Gangetic power established the territorial and administrative base on which successive dynasties — Shaishunaga, Nanda, and Maurya — built; the empire from which Ashoka issued his edicts three centuries later was the cumulative outgrowth of the imperial expansion Bimbisara initiated Bimbisara Establishes Magadha as a Major Power
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