Emperor Ashok and making of India

India had already forgotten Ashok whom Charles Allen declared in his biography of Ashok as the founding father of India. The founding father of India was buried under the accumulation of history written by those who disliked Ashoka and his committment to Buddha's Dhamma.

It was left to the archeologists to discover Ashoka and his legacy and in the process recover India's lost glory. Literature on Ashoka is abundantly available and from his rock edicts, we can know about Ashoka and his politics that was based on " Welfare State " lauded by Nobel laurate, Amartya Sen.

The modern India owes much to Asoka. When India was constituted in 1950, the new India choose the " Wheel of Dhamma", also known as Ashok Chakra to adorn the national flag. The Ashokan symbol of four lions became India's Royal Emblem. The President of India accepted the post for "setting in motion the Wheel of Dhamma."

Ashoka advocated humanistic policies and created hospitals for both human beings and animals. He appointed special officials to look after the welfare of women. His politics was based on the Sakyamuni Buddha's Dhamma. Ashoka called Sakyamuni Buddha as "Our Buddha": such was his love for the Sakyamuni. He even declared himself as Sakya before he became a Buddhist monk.

Had it not been for the discovery of Ashokan edicts, travelogs of Xuan Zang, and Western Indologists, the history of Buddhism in India and that of ancient India would have been buried in the mist of myths that Brahminical Vedism spreaded. 

The Brahminical Vedic onslaught on Ashoka and Buddhism is now well documented. The Shungas that destroyed the Mauryan empire were violent and used violence as a means to destroy Ashokan India of non-violence and peace. 

Ashoka practiced and preached many principles. Though this note cannot focus on all of them, I will confine to two principles. The first principle is related to society and other is related to administration/management.

Ashoka gave a principle which can be stated as: समवाय एवं साधुः

This can be translated in English as Harmony is the Best. Harmony in the society is the best. The societies get divided by religions, languages, castes, and races. When there is a disharmony, the society plunges into worst conditions and hence to maintain Harmony is the best principle for the society. 

The second principle is using middle path in administration of the state or any project. It can be summarized as "steady action, and no haste". 

Steady action and No haste

This Ashokan principle is what we need today when the politics is so much governed by talks and no action. Even if it is governed by action, that action is sporadic, it is not steady or sustained. Even if it is steady, it is done in haste, and anything done in haste is unmindful and that brings us to perhaps third principle of Ashokan tools to transform society; inculcate thinking, spread education, and let people think for themselves. This is summarized in an important word: Anvikshi. Anvikshi is the culture of thinking,  thinking clearly and creatively. No wonder art and science progressed rapidly following Ashokan empire and India became the centre of learning and education, huge grants were awarded by Ashoka to Nalanda and Taxila Universities. 

How fresh is the trinity of principles which are tried to cull from the vast teachings of the Buddha that Ashoka promoted. 

1. Harmony is the Best and Highest.
2. Steady action without haste
3. Culture of thinking and knowledge for welfare of all. 

Inspired by Ashoka was Babasaheb Ambedkar who himself promoted the culture of education (anvikshi), the effective action in the world in the form of agitation (steady and mindful action), and the organizing communities for achieving the best and the highest possibilities for the human societies. In other words, Ashoka was transforming the society of his time through education, agitation, and organization. These principles remain relevant even today.