Edicts of Ashoka: a Standard history source. Covers 260 BC – 232 BC, with 42 events in chronological order. Text license and provenance included.
| Type | Standard history |
|---|---|
| Viewpoint | Insider account |
| Years covered | 260 BC – 232 BC |
| Events | 42 events, 7 placed on the map |
| Author | 아쇼카 왕(번역·교정 Hultzsch) |
| Original title | Aśoka inscriptions (Hultzsch, CII I, 1925) |
Regions: South Asia 41 · Egypt & North Africa 1
| Year | Place | Event | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 260 BC | Kalinga | The conquest of Kalinga in his 8th year: 150,000 were deported, 100,000 killed, and many times that number died — Ashoka deeply repented and turned to "conquest by Dharma" | RE13 Kalsi A–E |
| 259 BC – 256 BC | Rupnath | Rupnath rock edict: Ashoka states that he had been a Shakya lay follower for over two and a half years without much zeal, and that after visiting the Sangha he strove vigorously for a little over a year | Rupnath B–D |
| 259 BC – 256 BC | Sahasram | Sahasram rock edict: after becoming a lay follower (upasaka) he began to strive, and he issued this declaration on the 256th day of a tour, having it engraved on rock and on stone pillars | Sahasram B–M |
| 259 BC – 256 BC | Bairat (Calcutta-Bairat) | Bairat rock edict: Priyadarshi, king of Magadha, greets the Sangha, declares his faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, and specifies scriptural passages to be read | Calcutta-Bairat A–E |
| 259 BC – 256 BC | Maski | Maski rock edict: Ashoka Devanampiya declares that he had been a Buddhist Shakya lay follower for over two and a half years, that it has been a little over a year since he visited the Sangha and strove, and that gods and men have been brought into contact | Maski A–G |
| 259 BC – 256 BC | Brahmagiri → Isila (via Suvarnagiri) | Brahmagiri rock edict: in the form of a message from the prince (Aryaputra) and mahamatras of Suvarnagiri to the mahamatras of Isila, it announces two and a half years as a lay follower and a little over a year of striving | Brahmagiri A–J |
| 259 BC – 256 BC | Siddapura (Isila) | Siddapura and Brahmagiri belong to the Isila region, and Isila is under the jurisdiction of the viceroy of Suvarnagiri (Hultzsch's introductory commentary) | Siddapura (Hultzsch 서론 2600–2605줄) |
| 258 BC | Sambodhi (Bodh Gaya) | In the 10th year of his reign, instead of pleasure tours (hunting and the like), he went to Sambodhi, visited shramanas and Brahmins, gave gold to the elderly, and began "Dharma tours" teaching the Dharma to the people | RE8 Kalsi C–F |
| 256 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | In the 12th year of his reign Ashoka ordered his officials (yuktas, rajukas, pradesikas) to tour the whole realm every five years and teach the Dharma: respect for parents, generosity, non-killing of living beings, and moderation | RE3 Girnar A–E |
| 256 BC | Barabar Hills (Banyan cave) | In his 12th year he dedicated the Banyan cave on the Barabar hill to the Ajivika order | Barabar cave I |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | Ashoka had the Dharma edict inscribed and banned animal sacrifice and festive gatherings (samaja); where the royal kitchen once slaughtered hundreds of thousands of animals daily, only two peacocks and one deer are now killed, and even these will stop | RE1 Girnar A–H |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | Medical care for people and animals was established throughout the king's territory and on its borders (the Cholas, Pandyas, Satiyaputras, Keralaputras, Tamraparni, and the Greek king Antiochus and his neighbors), with medicinal herbs, roots and fruits imported and planted, and trees and wells made along roads | RE2 Girnar A–D |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | Long-standing killing and disrespect toward relatives, Brahmins and shramanas were replaced by the practice of Ashoka's Dharma: the drum-sound became the sound of the Dharma, and divine sights such as celestial chariots, elephants and balls of fire were shown to the people | RE4 Girnar A–C |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | In the 13th year of his reign he first appointed Dharma Ministers (Dharmamahamatras) and sent them to people of all sects, including the Greeks, Kambojas, Gandharas, Rishtikas and Petenikas on the western frontier | RE5 Girnar H–J |
| 255 BC | Pataliputra | Dharma Ministers were required to work in the king's capital and in all outlying cities (RE5 M) | RE5 Kalsi M |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | Formerly there was no system for handling affairs and reports, but now reporters may inform the king about the people's affairs at any time — while he eats, in the women's quarters, in the stables, in the palanquin, in the gardens — and the king attends to them everywhere | RE6 Girnar B–E |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | He wishes all sects to dwell together everywhere — for all desire self-control and purity of heart | RE7 Girnar A–E |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | He points out the many ceremonies (mangala) people perform in illness, marriage and the like, and recommends the ceremony of the Dharma instead | RE9 Girnar A–B |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | He declares that he seeks neither fame nor glory but only that the people follow the Dharma, and that danger means demerit (evil karma) | RE10 Girnar A–D |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | He preaches that the "gift of the Dharma" (courtesy toward slaves and servants, respect for parents, non-killing) is the greatest gift | RE11 Girnar A–E |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | He honors all sects but urges refraining from praising one's own sect and disparaging others, and urges people to listen to and follow each other's teachings | RE12 Girnar A–J |
| 255 BC | Antiocheia (Syria — Antiochus II) | Conquest by Dharma reached as far as the territory of the Greek king Antiyoga (Antiochus II), 600 yojanas away | RE13 Kalsi Q |
| 255 BC | Alexandria (Egypt — Ptolemy II) | It is recorded that the conquest by Dharma also reached the territories of four kings beyond Antiyoga (Turamaya = Ptolemy II of Egypt, Antekina = Antigonus Gonatas, Maka = Magas of Cyrene, Alikasudara) | RE13 Kalsi Q |
| 255 BC | Cyrene (Magas) | Maka (Magas of Cyrene) is named among the westernmost places reached by the conquest by Dharma | RE13 Kalsi Q |
| 255 BC | Tamraparni (Sri Lanka) | To the south, the conquest by Dharma reached past the Cholas and Pandyas as far as Tamraparni | RE13 Kalsi Q |
| 255 BC | Yonas, Kambojas, Nabhakas, Bhojas, Andhras 등 (왕 영토 안) | Within the king's domain, the Yonas, Kambojas, Nabhakas, Bhojas, Pitinikas, Andhras, Paladas and others also follow the teaching of the Dharma | RE13 Kalsi R |
| 255 BC | Girnar rock (Junagadh 인근) | He had the edicts inscribed in brief, medium and extended forms, noting that because the realm is vast and there is much to record, some passages may be repeated or incomplete owing to place or scribe | RE14 Girnar A–E |
| 255 BC | Sopara | A fragment of the Eighth Rock Edict was found at Bombay-Sopara (Hultzsch's table of contents: "The Bombay-Sopara fragment of the eighth rock-edict") | Bombay-Sopara fragment (Hultzsch 19283–19327) |
| 255 BC | Mansehra | Most of Rock Edicts 1-14 are also inscribed on the Mansehra rock (checked from Hultzsch's chapter title "IV. The Mansehra Rock" and the headings of Edicts 1 and 3-14 under it) | Mansehra rock edicts (Hultzsch 15746–16698) |
| 255 BC | Delhi-Mirath pillar (Meerut) | The Pillar Edicts 1-6 series are inscribed on the Delhi-Mirath pillar (checked from the edict headings under Hultzsch's chapter title "II. The Delhi-Mirath pillar") | Delhi-Mirath PE I–VI (Hultzsch 20764–21117) |
| 254 BC | Nigali Sagar | In his 14th year he enlarged the stupa of the Buddha Konakamana to twice its size | Nigali Sagar A |
| 250 BC – 232 BC | Tosali (Dhauli) | Separate Edict I to the city judges (mahamatras) of Tosali: all people are my children, and judge justly — a directive | Dhauli separate RE I A–F |
| 250 BC – 232 BC | Tosali (Dhauli) | To the prince (viceroy) and mahamatras of Tosali: unconquered frontier peoples may ask "what does the king want of us?", and I wish them not to fear me but to trust me — a directive | Dhauli separate RE II A–G |
| 250 BC – 232 BC | Kosambi | To the mahamatras of Kosambi: monks and nuns who split the Sangha are to be made to wear white robes and live in a non-residence (Kosambi Edict) | Kausambi edict Allahabad-Kosam E |
| 250 BC – 232 BC | Sanchi pillar | Sanchi pillar: the Sangha must remain united as long as sons and great-grandsons rule and as long as sun and moon endure; those who split it are to be driven out in white robes | Sanchi PE C–E |
| 250 BC – 232 BC | Sarnath pillar | Sarnath pillar: no one may split the Sangha; monks and nuns who split it are to be made to wear white robes and live in a non-residence. Hultzsch regards it as an edict sent to the mahamatras of Pataliputra | Sarnath PE C–D |
| 249 BC | Barabar Hills (Khalatika cave) | In his 19th year he dedicated a very pleasant cave on the Kalatika hill as a rainy-season residence | Barabar cave III |
| 248 BC | Lumbini (Rummindei) | In his 20th year he came in person to worship, and because the Buddha Shakyamuni was born here, he erected a stone pillar and exempted Lumbini village from taxes (paying only one-eighth) | Rummindei A–C |
| 248 BC | Nigali Sagar | In his 20th year he visited in person to worship and had a stone pillar erected | Nigali Sagar B |
| 242 BC | Delhi-Topra pillar | In his 26th year he had this Dharma edict inscribed — happiness in this world and the next is hard to obtain without great love of the Dharma, reflection, and the like | PE1 Delhi-Topra A–C |
| 242 BC | Delhi-Topra pillar | What is Dharma? Few sins, many good deeds, compassion, generosity, truthfulness, purity. He has bestowed the grace of life-saving even on two-footed and four-footed animals, birds and aquatic creatures | PE2 Delhi-Topra B–F |
| 242 BC | Allahabad-Kosam pillar (Kosambi) | He ordered the mahamatras to register in the name of the second queen (Kaluvaki, mother of Tivala) all her merits — mango groves, gardens, almshouses and so on (Queen's Edict) | Queen's PE Allahabad-Kosam A–C |