8. Critically evaluate the basic principles of
Ashoka's Dhamma. in 100 word
Answers
Answer:
The word Dhamma is the Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word Dharma.[4][5][6] There have been attempts to define and find equivalent English words for it, such as "piety", "moral life" and "righteousness" or "duty" but scholars could not translate it into English because it was coined and used in a specific context. The word Dharma has multiple meanings in the literature and thought of ancient India. The best way to understand what Ashoka means by Dharma is to read his edicts, which were written to explain the principles of Dharma to the people of that time throughout the empire.[7][8][9]
Dharma was not a particular religious faith or practice, or an arbitrary formulated royal policy.[10] Dharma related to generalized norms of social behavior and activities; Ashoka tried to synthesize various social norms which were current in his time. It cannot be understood by assuming it is one of the various religions that existed at that time. To understand why and how Ashoka formulated Dharma and its meaning, one must understand the characteristics of the time in which he lived and to refer to Buddhist, Brahmanical and other texts where norms of social behavior are explained.[11][12]
Some historians link Ashoka’s policy of Dhamma with Buddhism. According to V.A. Smith,[13] Ashoka actually became a Buddhist monk for a short span of his life. V.A Smith believes that he was both a monk and a monarch at the same time. D.R. Bhandarkar[14] claims that Ashoka was a Buddhist and his policy of dhamma was actually original Buddhism as preached by the Buddha. Radha Kumud Mookerji also formulates that as far as the personal religion of Ashoka is concerned, it may be taken as Buddhism.
Explanation: