Empire 129. Ashoka: The Great Buddhist Emperor of India
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Mar 7, 2024 Explore the transformative journey of Emperor Ashoka, who morphed from a brutal conqueror into a peace-loving Buddhist missionary after grappling with guilt. Hear about the grandeur of his empire, Pataliputra, and its cultural exchanges with Greek thinkers. Dive into the significance of Ashoka's rock edicts as early written statements and the influence of Buddhism on Indian identity. Discover how Ashoka helped spread Buddhism beyond India and the maritime ventures that intertwined Hindu and Buddhist ideas across Southeast Asia.
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Meeting of Worlds
- Alexander the Great's troops encountered Indian ascetics, some possibly Buddhist, during their conquests.
- These encounters led to cultural exchanges and philosophical discussions between the Greeks and the ascetics.
First Western Buddhist
- Pyrrho of Ellis, a soldier in Alexander's army, was influenced by the gymnosophists' doctrines.
- Upon returning, he adopted agnosticism and advocated for equanimity and suspension of judgment to achieve tranquility.
Chandragupta Maurya's Rise
- Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka's grandfather, joined Alexander's army and later took over the Gangetic plains.
- He formed alliances with the Greeks through marriages and traded Indian aphrodisiacs for sweet wine, dried figs, and attempted to get a sophist.
