Edicts of Ashoka: Encyclopedia II - Edicts of Ashoka - Ashoka's Proselytism

Edicts of Ashoka - Ashoka's Proselytism

In order to propagate the Buddhist faith, Ashoka explains he sent emissaries to the Hellenistic kings as far as the Mediterranean, and to the peoples throughout India, claiming they were all converted to the Dharma as a result. He names the Greek rulers of the time, inheritors of the conquest of Alexander the Great, from Bactria to as far as Greece and North Africa, displaying an amazingly clear grasp of the political situation at the time.

Edicts of Ashoka - Proselytism beyond India

The distance of 600 yojanas (a yojanas being about 7 miles), corresponds to the distance between the center of India and Greece (roughly 4,000 miles).

• Antiochos refers to Antiochus II Theos of Syria (261-246 BCE), who controlled the Seleucid Empire from Syria to Bactria, in the east from 305 BCE to 250 BCE, and was therefore a direct neighbor of Ashoka.
• Ptolemy refers to Ptolemy II Philadelphos of Egypt (285-247 BCE), king of the dynasty founded by Ptolemy I, a former general of Alexander the Great, in Egypt.
• Antigonos refers to Antigonus II Gonatas of Macedon (278-239 BCE)
• Magas refers to Magas of Cyrene (300-258 BCE)
• Alexander refers to Alexander II of Epirus (272-258 BCE).

In the Gandhari original Antiochos is refered as "Amtiyoko nama Yona-raja" (lit. "The Greek king by the name of Antiokos"), beyond whom live the four other kings: "param ca tena Atiyokena cature 4 rajani Turamaye nama Amtikini nama Maka nama Alikasudaro nama" (lit. "And beyond Antiochus, four kings by the name of Ptolemy, the name of Antigonos, the name of Magas, the name Alexander" ^[1]

It is not clear in western records whether these emissaries were actually received, or had any influence on the western world. Some scholars however point to the presence of Buddhist communities in the Hellenistic world from that time, in particular in Alexandria (mentioned by Clement of Alexandria). The pre-Christian monastic order of the Therapeutae may have drawn inspiration for its ascetic lifestyle from contact with Buddhist monasticism. Buddhist gravestones from the Ptolemaic period have also been found in Alexandria, decorated with depictions of the Wheel of the Law (Tarn, "The Greeks in Bactria and India"). Commenting on the presence of Buddhists in Alexandria, some scholars have even pointed out that “It was later in this very place that some of the most active centers of Christianity were established” (Robert Linssen).

Ashoka’s proselytism also expanded to the south of the Indian subcontinent:

• The Cholas and Pandyas were south Indian peoples living outside Asoka's empire.
• Tamraparni is the ancient name for Sri Lanka.

Edicts of Ashoka - Proselytism within Ashoka's territories

Inside India proper, in the realm of Ashoka, many different populations were the object of the King’s proselytism:

• Greek communities within the Mauryan Empire probably lived in northwestern India, in the region of Gandhara, and in southern Afghanistan in the region of Gedrosia, following the conquest and the colonization efforts of Alexander the Great around 323 BCE. In particular several cities were built on the Greek model, such as in Taxila. These communities therefore seem to have been still significant during the reign of Ashoka. Ashoka also clearly knows about Greek ways:

• Kambojas are a people of Central Asian origin who had settled first in Arachosia and Drangiana (today’s southern Afghanistan), and then in the northwestern Indian subcontinent in Sindhu, Gujarat and Sauvira. The Kambojas also later designated populations in northwestern Thailand, so there is a possibility that this mention relates to the prolytisation of the Mons.
• The Nabhakas, the Nabhapamkits, the Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Andhras and the Palidas are other people under Ashoka’s rule.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Ashoka's Proselytism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki