18 Images of ah-show-Ka the Indian king in ancient times

Compared to his siblings, Ashoka was considered ugly, and when young he resented their comparable popularity. On the death of his father, there was a power struggle for the throne. Stories from the time, suggest Ashoka killed his siblings and the legitimate heir to the throne in his remorseless quest for power. He was crowned king in 269 BCE, four years after his succession to power, suggesting a prolonged power struggle.

Image From: biography

3. Ashoka’s wife

As per the study, .^[1]When Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, he came to Sarnath, on the outskirts of Varanasi. There, he found his five disciples Assaji, Mahānāma, Kondañña, Bhaddiya and Vappa, who had earlier abandoned him. He introduced his first teachings to them, thereby establishing the dharmachakra. This is the motif taken up by Ashoka and portrayed on top of his pillars.

Image From: Wikipedia

7. Land Conquered

According to Buddhist legend, particularly the Mahaparinirvana, the relics of the Buddha had been shared among eight countries following his death.^[66] Ashoka endeavored to take back the relics and share them among 84,000 stupas. This story is amply depicted in the reliefs of Sanchi and Bharhut.^[67] According to the legend, Ashoka obtained the ashes from seven of the countries but failed to take the ashes from the Nagas at Ramagrama. This scene is depicted on the transverse portion of the southern gateway at Sanchi.

From the various sources that speak of his life, Ashoka is believed to have had five wives. They were named Devi (or Vedisa-Mahadevi-Shakyakumari), the second queen, Karuvaki, Asandhimitra (designated agramahisī or “chief queen”), Padmavati, and Tishyarakshita.^[33] He is similarly believed to have had four sons and two daughters: a son by Devi named Mahendra (Pali: Mahinda), Tivara (son of Karuvaki), Kunala (son of Padmavati, and Jalauka (mentioned in the Kashmir Chronicle), a daughter of Devi named Sanghamitra (Pali: Sanghamitta), and another daughter named Charumati.^[33]

Image From: wikipedia

11. Ashoka with his two queens

Ashoka proclaims his faith, 10 years after the violent beginning of his reign, and affirms that living beings, human or animal, cannot be killed in his realm. In the Hellenistic part of the Edict, he translates the Dharma he advocates by “Piety” εὐσέβεια, Eusebeia, in Greek. The usage of Aramaic reflects the fact that Aramaic (the so-called Official Aramaic) had been the official language of the Achaemenid Empire which had ruled in those parts until the conquests of Alexander the Great. The Aramaic is not purely Aramaic but seems to incorporate some elements of Iranian.^[9] According to D.D.Kosambi, the Aramaic is not an exact translation of the Greek, and it seems rather that both were translated separately from an original text in Magadhi, the common official language of India at the time, used on all the other Edicts of Ashoka in Indian language, even in such linguistically distinct areas as Kalinga.^[8] It is written in Aramaic alphabet.

 14. Diamond Throne

There remains however the Diamond throne, which he had established at the foot of the Bodhi tree.^[10] The Diamond Throne, or Vajrasana, is thought to have been built by Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire between 250-233 BCE,.^[11] at the location where the Buddha reached enlightenment.^[12] It is worshiped today and is the center of many festivities at the Mahabodhi Temple.

Image From: wikipedia

15. Adult Painting of Ashoka

Ashoka, the famous Mauryan emperor, ruled a major part of the Indian sub-continent in the third century before the Common Era. His conquests were only rivaled much later by those of the imperial Mughals and the British Indian Empire. However, the nature of his rule, as reflected in the orders issued by him, surviving as Ashoka’s Edicts all over India, paint him as an unusually humane ruler who strived for peace and equality amongst his subjects.

Image From: Dnaindia