DDK HistoryF.p65 - CSIR

200 NEW ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES [7.3
Incidentally, the Greek names in RE. 13 serve to date this edict as not being
later than 258 B. c. when Magas of Cyrene died. The word samanta
in the sense of ‘neighbouring ruler * used for Antiochus (II, Theos)
is not applied to the Indian neighbours of Asoka ; it would come to
mean ‘ feudatory’ or ‘ tributary’ prince, a thousand years later (and is
sometimes thus mistranslated by J. J. Meyer in Arth.). Finally, the good
actions are all along the ‘ roads’, which means the major trade-routes,
and a great help to the trade which had emanated from Magadha much
earlier, without this sort of aid. PE. 7 describes these step-in wells, mango,
and shade-tree groves as one yojana apart, which is quite logical. The
word yojana means the distance a bullock-cart caravan could travel between
in-spanning and out-spanning ; the route from Sravasti to Taxila was
taken as 147 yojanas in length ; in our units, a yojana would be
between 4£ to 9 miles. The Asokan arrangements for caravan resting
places, and therewith the trade routes, could still be traced by competent
archaeologists. Penetration of Asoka’s influence resulted in the formation
or transformation of kingships among the Indian tribes, while the Greek
kings, assured of his pacific intentions, settled down to the task of
fighting among themselves,
(RE. 3). “When I had been anointed twelve years, the following was ordered by
me. Everywhere in my dominions the yuktas, the rajuka, and the pradesika shall set out
on a complete tour (throughout their charges) every five years for this very purpose —
for the following instruction in morality as well as for other business : * Meritorious is
obedience to mother and father. Liberality to friends, acquaintances, and relatives, to
brahmins and sramanas is meritorious. Abstention from killing animals is meritorious.
Moderation in expenditure, moderation in possession are meritorious *. The (ministerial)
council shall also order the yuktas to register (these rules) both with (the addition of)
reasons -and according to the letter”.
Asoka’s conversion to Buddhism has led to his being compared
to Constantine ; the parallel may be heightened by the legend that he
treated his son Ktutala at the instance of a jealous empress much as
the Christian did his son Crispus. Nevertheless, we do not find this
concentration upon morality in Constantine’s inscriptions. Had Asoka, for
example, been simply the religious dotard as he is sometimes made out to