Question

ashoka is called gerat by historians

Answer 1

Hey ..




Ashoka is 'The Great Ashoka' because of the way he transformed, and its everlasting influence on humanity even today.

Just like many great kings he waged wars. The most bitter of it was against the Kalinga desa (present day Odisha). His first hand accounts of the massive destruction of human lives moved him to become a much more benevolent leader. He is believed to have said the monologue:

What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Did I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?

Such a realization, which is true today as it was then. It is quite a rare event that big rulers transform like this.