A few years ago, lamenting the fall in the standards of journalism, I wrote a spoof blog on how the press would have made mincemeat of Ashoka for converting to Buddhism after the Kalinga war, to escape accountability for causing loss of human life and property. In 2018, I decided to know more about Ashoka, The Great and browsed the net. Shockingly, I saw some search results that described him as `Ashoka, The Not So Great’. Coming from this tribe surprised me and made me more curious to know about this greatest king of India apart from Akbar. I decided to read the best book on him to get the right picture. More than one source pointed to `Ashoka, The Great’ by Wytze Keuning. I purchased the book on my Kindle, and it took me four years to read it.
Wytze Keuning was a Dutch scholar, and he wrote this book in Dutch. He never visited India. Nobody knows where his interest in Ashoka came from. But there must have been some significant affinity towards this king from India, that a Dutch teacher gave up his job in 1937, lived on a modest pension, and wrote a thousand-page book on Ashoka, The Great. This book was translated into English by J.E. Steur in 2010.
Coming to the people who call `Ashoka, The Great’ as `Ashoka, The Not So Great’, the contents of this book made me connect the dots in `The Myth of The Holy Cow by DN Jha’. This book also answered my questions on why he is called `Ashoka, The Great’. And why some people are enraged with him even after ages.
As per the book, Ashoka had to brave it all. He was blessed with ugly looks and a mother who was not the preferred wife of Bindusra, his father. He had an elder brother who was a debauchee and yet wanted to rule the Mauryan throne, and he was backed by the avaricious priests. Obviously, Ashoka’s elder brother believed in the priests and the sacrifices they demanded, more than on a well trained and equipped army. Ashoka despised the priests and never believed in any of their customs. He believed actions and not prayers yield results. The priests hound him throughout his life and try to assassinate him at various stages. Somebody is still carrying on their agenda.
As per this book, Ashoka was against customs like Sati and saved ladies literally from the burning fire. He respected all customs and religions, taking deep interest in them. Ashoka believed in science, medicine and despised superstitions. He had a razor sharp intellect and the strength of an elephant. He despised war and usually won over his rivals with a lot of tact and deliberations. He was a great soldier and strategist on the battlefield. He was against the caste system, and many of his trusted lieutenants were from the downtrodden class.
Ashoka was always inspired by Buddha, and not just after the Kalinga war. He was recceing the religion for a long time, and one of his wives was a Buddhist. The king was polemical about animal sacrifice and hunting. As explained in the book, the Kalinga war was the last thing he wanted. After that, it is documented popularly, his last battle. But much later, he doesn’t mind using force to quell a revolt in Taxila. Buddhism owes its existence to Ashoka, The Great. This man emptied his treasury to spread the philosophy of Tataghata.
This is a great book to learn about the great king from India. However, I want to read more books about him. For its content, detailed description, and language, this book from my side gets a five star.
