Pillar of Ashoka
A History of the World in 100 Objects
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The Importance of Ashoka in the History of India
Ashoka's political and moral philosophy, as he expressed it in his imperial inscriptions, initiated a tradition of religious tolerance. On all the Indian banknotes, we see Gandhi facing the four lions of Ashoka's pillar. The architects of Indian independence had him often in their mind. And so he's also in that sense a pan Asian figure. You can see the object described in this program close up on the A History of the World website.
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