Mauryas (Dynasty) Details About Rock Edicts

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Major Rock Edicts

  • 1st Major Rock Edict:
    • declares prohibition animal sacrifice; also prohibits the holding of festivals, royal hunting was discontinued; only two peacock and a deer and killed in the kitchens of the beloved of Gods;
  • 2nd Major Rock Edict:
    • It mentions medical treatment human and animals; also mentions construction of roads, wells etc. and also tree planting;
  • 3rd Major Rock Edict:
    • It mentions about the Pradeshikas Rajuka also in the 4th Pillar Edict and Yuktas; declares the liberty towards Bramanas and the Sramanas;
  • 4th Major Rock Edict:
    • It mentions that the Beri-gosha has been replaced by dhrama-gosha (i.e.. sound of Dhamma) ; it also mentions that the Rajuks had the power to punish;
  • 5th Major Rock Edict:
    • Reference to the appointment of Dhamma Mahamatas for the first time in the 14th year of his regime; it also mentions that Dhamma Mahamattas promoting the welfare of prisoners;
  • 6th Major Rock Edict:
    • Mantri parishad has been mentioned; officials like Pulisani and Pratividikar has also been mentioned; It mentions All times, I am available to the Mahamattas i.e.. Mahamattas could being their report to the king at any time;
  • 7th Major Rock Edict:
    • It mentions religions tolerations amongst all the sects it gives information that tension among the sects was expressed intensely; it gives information about self center and purity of mind;
  • 8th Major Rock Edict:
    • In his 10th Regnal year, he went to Dharmyatras to Sambodhi in Bodhgaya;
  • 9th Major Rock Edict:
    • It mentions about the uselessness of the various ceremonies; it stresses on morality and moral code of conducts; it also mentions about the ceremony of Dhamma; it includes regards for slaves and servants, respect for teachers, restrained behavior towards living beings and donation to Sarmanas and the Brahmanas;
  • 10th Major Rock Edict:
    • It mentions that the king desires no more fame or glory (i.e.. - de­nounces fame and glory) , ex­cept in the field of Dhamma; it mentions about the su­preme quality of Dhamma policy (also in the 2nd and 8th Pillar Edict and IXth Major Rock Edict.) ;
  • 11th Major Rock Edict:
    • It further ex­plains the policy of Dhamma; it emphasises on giving respect to the elders, abstain from killing animals and liberalism and charity towards friends, Sramanas and Brahmans and good behaviours towards slaves and servants;
  • 12th Major Rock Edict:
    • Ithijika Mahamatta has been men­tioned; appeal for toleration among sects i.e.. to honour the another men՚s sects; it mentions that the beloved of the Gods does not consider gifts or honour to be as im­portant as the progress of the essential doctrines of all sects;
  • 13th Major Rock Edict:
    • It is the larg­est inscription; from the edict, we know that the Kalinga war took place in the 9th regnal year Asoka has expressed sorrow over it; King considered the victory the victory by Dhamma to be the foremost victory; Mention the Dhamma vic­tory on the Greek being named Antiochus (probably Antichus II, Theos of Syria) ; it also mentions the Dhamma victory over the following foreign brings:-
      • Ptolemy II Philadelphus - King of Egypt (285 - 247 B. C.) ;
      • Alexander - King of Epirus (273 - 255 BC)
      • Antigonous Gonatus -King of Macedonia (276 - 239 BC)
      • Magas - King of Cyrene; It also mentions the Dhammavictory in south over the Cholas and Pandyas, as far as Ceylon (Sri Lanka) ; 2nd and 13th R. E. mentions that Pandyas, Cholas had Dhamma victory over Ceylon.
  • 14th Major Rock Edict:
    • the purpose of the Rock Edicts has been mentioned.
    • The Major Rock Edict are 14 in number found in Manshera (Hazara) , Shahbazgarhi (Peshawar) , Girnar (Gujarat) , Sopara (Maharashtra) , Sannati (Karnataka) , Yerragudi (Andhra Pradesh) , Dhauli (Orissa) , Jaugada (Orissa) and Kalsi (Dehradun) .

Minor Rock Edicts

The Minor Rock Edicts have been found from 20 dif­ferent places:

  1. 2 in Afghanisatn:
    1. Lamghan; and
    2. Kandhar.
  2. 9 in Karnataka:
    1. Brahmagiri,
    2. Jatinga-Ram-eshvara,
    3. Siddapura, Maski,
    4. Gavimath,
    5. Palki-gundu,
    6. Nittur,
    7. Uddeg-olam,
    8. Sannati.
  3. 3 in Madhya Pradesh:
    1. Rupanath,
    2. Gujara,
    3. Pango-raria.
  4. 2 in Andhra Pradesh:
    1. Yerragudi,
    2. Rajula-Mandagiri,
  5. 1 in Bihar: Sahasaram
  6. 1 in Rajasthan: Bairat
  7. 1 in UP: Ahraura
  8. 1 in Delhi: Bahapur

The Pillar Edicts have been found at 13 places: 10 pillars have inscriptions upon them and 3 pillars do not have any inscriptions.

  1. The 10 inscribed pillars have been found at:
    1. Rampurva (Bihar) ,
    2. Lauriya-Araraja (Bihar) ,
    3. Lauriya-Nandangarh (Bihar) .
    4. Rummindei (Nepal) ,
    5. Nigalva (Nepal) .
    6. Sarnath (UP) ,
    7. Kausambi (UP)
    8. Delhi-Topra Delhi ,
    9. Delhi-Meerut (Delhi) and
    10. Madhya Pradesh at Sanchi.
  2. The 3 uninscribed pillars have been found at:
    1. Rampurva (Bihar) ,
    2. Bakhira⟋Koluha (Bihar)
    3. Sankisha (UP)

Facts

Highest pillar: Rampurva.

  1. Shortest pillar: Rummendei
  2. The best preserved pillar: Lauriya-Nanadangarh
  3. Most ancient Pillar: Bakhira
  4. Last of the pillar: Sarnath.