Ashoka's religious tolerance
Topic: The Mauryan Empire · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "The Rise of Empires"
Meaning
Ashoka's religious tolerance was his policy of respecting all religious groups, not just Buddhists. After the Kalinga war he followed the Buddha's path of non-violence. Even so, he did not force Buddhism on his subjects. He asked people to hold back from praising their own sect and attacking others. He also asked them to learn the best teachings of other sects. Respect for other religions and traditions was a key part of his dhamma, his simple moral code. It helped hold a very varied empire together.
Example
In Rock Edict XII (3rd century BCE), Ashoka urges all sects to respect one another and study each other's teachings. His dhamma mahamattas, special dhamma officers, worked among all groups: the Buddhist Order, Brahmanas, Ajivikas, Jains and others.
Don't confuse with
- Ashoka's personal Buddhism: Ashoka was personally a Buddhist, as the Bhabru edict shows. His public dhamma was a shared moral code for everyone, not a call to become Buddhist.
Related concepts
- Bindusara
- Ashoka
- Kalinga war
- Rock Edict XIII
- Kalinga edicts
- Dhauli
- Ashoka's dhamma
- Dhamma mahamatta
- Pativedaka
- Devanampiya