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The Record of Asoka’s Reign

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Asoka is the first king in India who left records of his reign–in the form of edicts on rocks and pillars. The edicts tell us that before his conversion to Buddhism, he was given to the pleasures of hunting. meat, and drinking. In the ninth year of his reign he attacked and conquered Kalinga, a neighboring state. The killings and the suffering of the soldiers and their relatives–widows and children–filled him with remorse. He left his war-mongering religion and converted to Buddhism. There is no such instance in Indian history. After the conversion,  Asoka worked for the welfare and happiness of his people. In one edict he said, “all men are my children.” He provided medical care for all his subjects, had wells dug alongside the major roads to provide water for travelers and animals, prohibited the slaughter of animals for religious purposes and sports, and restricted animal killings for food. He went further, and appointed officials for improvement of relations between different castes and for promotion of religious tolerance. He attempted to remove arbitrariness from the judicial system.

September 2, 2017 written by