Emperor Ashoka and his Conversion to Buddhism Sounded the death Knell of millitary Thought in India
Emperor Ashoka is given the title "the Great", but many do not rate his as great and in a seminar while undergoing the Staff Course a speaker, I think he was Mohit Sen commented that the rise of Ashoka and his subsequent conversion to Budhism was in fact a deleterious action as he dammed military progress and exposed the early Buddhist communities in Afghanistan and Baloochistan easy prey to the Muslim invadors in 6th and 7th century AD.
Ashoka( 304-232 BC) belonged to the illustrious Maurya dynasty founded by Chandragupta and ruled for 39 years. Unfortunately, though he ruled over a gigantic empire, the Maurya dynasty disintegrated within 50 years of his death. Ashoka was the son of Bindusara and a great warrior. He was also a bloodthirsty king who in a war of succession executed 99 of his brothers, both foster and real so as to get a firm hold on his empire. At its apex, the empire of Ashoka extended from Afghanistan to south India and Assam in the East. Only Aurangzeb ruled a bigger empire in Indian history. Ashoka built this empire by the sword and a ruthless war that spared none.
As per ancient chronicles, a turning point was reached in the Battle of Kalinga( Modern Orissa). In this battle there was great bloodshed and it is recorded that more than 100,000 persons died. There is a tale which may or may not be true. During the course of the battle the troops of Ashoka caught a Buddhist monk. He advised Ashoka to give up the path of anarchy and war and turn to peace. An incensed Ashoka ordered that the monk be thrown in a cauldron filled with heated oil. However a miracle took place and the Monk when thrown in the burning oil, did not scald or burn, but a lotus flower materialized and the monk sat on it and mediatated. Ashoka was awe struck at the power of the monk. This tale as I have said, may or may not be true, but a catalaytic event did take place that made Ashoka convert to Buddhism.
This conversion had serious consequences for India as Ashoka began to neglect the military which became unimportant in his scheme of things. He began to believe in the Buddha and that meant he began to neglect military doctrine and war. Worse he made non- violence and Buddhist principles a part of state policy.This had an effect as the Maurya empire crumbled within 50 years of his death.
Pacifism also crept into the distant Buddhist communities in Afganistan and the NW Frontier. Thus, when the Muslim invading army came these communities were soft fodder from them and the first conversions to Islam took place in these regions. The Buddhists could not fight the Muslims and were not only defeated but thousands executed. Many were given an option of life in case they converted and thus the first conversions took place in Afghanistan. Overnight Buddhism vanished there and Islam became the de facto religion.
The defeats in the west was a direct consequence of policy of pacifism adopted by Ashoka. He died, but he left his followers vulnerable to easy military conquest. The effect of the pacifism of Ashoka had an indirect effect on Hindu thought as well. Despite the revival of Brahaminism, military doctrine became a neglected part of state ethos and in the long run led to Muslim conquest of India.
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