Page 57 - SST Class 06

people. He himself toured his empire and general conduct. The edicts, pillars and caves are
enquired about the well-being of his subjects.
Despite being a follower of Buddhism, Ashoka
respected all religions and faiths. His Edicts say :
“One should not honour only one’s own sect and
condemn other’s sect. Other sects should be
equally respected. ”
Chief Principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma
Ashoka issued edicts from the thirteenth year of
his rule. His main points of emphasis were the
following :
1. Love and Respect for People : In one rock
edict, Ashoka said that one must obey his
father, mother, teacher and other elderly
people. He advised his subjects to be
sympathetic to the young and subordinates.
2. Non-violence : Ashoka was against all forms of
violence—fighting, war, hunting, flesh-eating
etc.
3. Peace and Harmony : Ashoka advised the
people to live in peace and harmony and to be
tolerant of all faiths.
4. Charity : Ashoka advised that one should give
education to the illiterate, money to the poor
and knowledge of Dhamma to everybody.
5. Other Qualities : Ashoka advised the people
to adopt good qualities in life, like truthfulness,
piety and good conduct; and renounce all bad
qualities like cruelty, anger and jealousy.
One of Ashoka’s rock edict in Odisha says : “All
people are my children. I wish they may enjoy the
fruits of prosperity and happiness .”
Ashoka’s Edicts and Inscriptions
The means of transport and communication were
scarce in the ancient period, so Ashoka used rock
edicts and other inscriptions for spreading his
message. He used the language of the common
people. These edicts tell about the vastness of his
empire as they were set up at different places all
over his empire.
Ashoka issued a large number of edicts which
were put in all parts of his empire. These dealt
with the subjects of religion, administration and
famous for their beauty. They also reveal his
friendly relations with other countries. They have
not faded even after centuries.
Quiz Time
Fill in the blanks :
1. Ashoka used rock __________ and other
__________ for spreading his message.
2. Kalinga was __________ but __________ was
lost.
3. Chandragupta Maurya earned the title of
__________.
4. __________ was the ruler of Magadha.
5. The __________, __________ and __________
are famous for their beauty.
F ind Outind Out
Who was the last king of Mauryan empire?
ADMINISTRATION IN MAURYAN EMPIRE
The Mauryan empire was very vast and comprised
almost the whole of India, barring some southern
territory. We can know about different aspects of
the Mauryan administration from Kautilya’s
Arthashastra, Megasthenes's Indica and other
literature. We can study different aspects of
Mauryan administration under the following
points :
Governance
The whole empire was divided into three
layers—central, provincial and village.
At the central level, the king ruled with the help of
a mantriparishad (council of ministers). This
advised the king on different matters, but the
advice was not binding on the king. The central
administration was looked after by a large number
of ministers and officials. They looked after
different departments, like agriculture, security,
revenue, public works etc.
The village was the smallest unit of administration.
Its head was dharmadhyaksha or gramini (village
The First Empire
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