Emperor Ashoka’s Dhamma Policy and Good Governance:The Concept of a Buddhist Welfare State as Reflected in Ashokan Inscriptions
सम्राट अशोक की धम्म-नीति और सुशासन: अशोक के शिलालेखों में प्रतिबिंबित बौद्ध कल्याणकारी राज्य की अवधारणा
Keywords:
म्राट अशोक, धम्म-नीति, मौर्य साम्राज्य, अशोक के शिलालेख, कल्याणकारी राज्य, बौद्ध राजनीतिक दर्शन, सुशासन, धम्म महामात्र, कलिंग युद्ध, धम्म विजय, प्राचीन भारतीय राजनीति, नैतिक शासन, सर्वधर्म समभाव, Emperor Ashoka, Dhamma policyAbstract
The present research paper offers an analytical study of Emperor Ashoka’s (r. 268–232 BCE) Dhamma policy. Through a close textual examination of Ashoka’s inscriptions, the study establishes that his Dhamma policy was not merely a religious or ethical injunction, but rather a comprehensive politico-administrative philosophy that articulated one of the earliest organized conceptions of a welfare state in world history.
Following the Kalinga War (261 BCE), Ashoka’s psychological and philosophical transformation brought about an unprecedented shift in ancient Indian political thought—a transition from Digvijaya (conquest by war) to Dhammavijaya (conquest through righteousness). This research presents a comparative and critical analysis of primary evidence derived from the thirty-three inscriptions.
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