ASHOKA (r. c.268-c.233 BCE)


Alexander's successor Seleukos I commemorated on his coins his battle and truce with Chandragupta Maurya, which brought him 500 elephants
After Chandragupta, founder of the *Maurya* dynasty, came Bindusara, and then Chandragupta's great-grandson Ashoka; *the Mauryan Empire**
The influence of the animal-topped pillars of Persepolis on Ashoka's pillars is readily apparent
The famous Ashokan lion capital from his pillar at Sarnath, which is now the symbol of India
A close look at one of Ashoka's pillars, in Lauriya-Nandangarh, Bihar
More Ashokan pillars: the one at Vaishali, Bihar
The pillar at Lumbini, in southern Nepal
The pillar at Bodh Gaya seems to have no inscription
The pillar at Allahabad has now lost its capital
*FIROZ
SHAH*
One pillar from the Punjab area has been moved to Firoz Shah ka Kotla in Delhi
Ashoka also inscribed edicts on large boulders beside important roads, as in this famous example in Girnar, Gujarat
Probably because of Ashoka's missionary activity, Buddhism got an early start in Sri Lanka as well
But could his fame ever have been truly established, without a film of his own?
*BL*
A search for "asoka" will produce lots more images, including a pillar in *Allahabad*; there's also one in *Latiya* near Ghazipur



 
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