The Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, is famous for his Rock and Pillar edicts. But how much can we really know about Ashoka and his empire from these edicts, particularly as almost no other evidence exists for Ashoka's reign?

It is a fair assessment that up until the early part of the twentieth century, when the definitive link between Ashoka and that of the "Devanampiya Piyadassi (Beloved of the Gods Piyadassi)" character inscribed on the edicts was established, very little was either known about Ashoka or cared for by historians. However, it must be said that the Mauryan Empire itself was an era of significant historical value not without a good deal of historical and archaeological evidence to substantiate its importance. In addressing the issue of what the edicts in particular reveal to us about Ashoka and the period of his reign one needs to acknowledge undoubtedly what is being stated, but perhaps moreover one needs to pay attention to the inherent meanings, the intended meanings......

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Title: Mauryan Empire
Approximate Word Count: 831
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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