An enlightening biography that reconstructs the life and legacy of a unique king in world history and the most famous emperor of Southeast Asia.
There are few historical figures more foundational to the history of Southeast Asian regions than Emperor Ashoka, a 3rd-century B.C. king who governed a larger area of the Indian subcontinent than anyone else before British colonization. Ashoka sought not only to rule his region but to give it a unity of purpose and ambition, to unify the people of his diverse empire not through a cult of personality but through a cult of the idea—of "dharma"—which served as the connecting link of a new moral order.
His fame spread widely throughout India and other parts of Asia, prompting various reimaginings of the king and his significance. In this deeply researched book, Patrick Olivelle draws on Ashoka's inscriptions and the art and architecture he promoted to create a detailed portrait of Ashoka as a ruler, Buddhist, moral philosopher, and ecumenist who governed a vast multi-ethnic, multilingual, and multi-religious empire.
Pages: 408, Year of Publication: 0527, Dimensions: 15.2x15.2cm
