Home | Rel-Dictionary | Do You Know

Back

The Emperor Ashok built several pillars throughout India. They were inscribed about Mauryan kings during his reign in 3rd century BC. Maybe there were many pillars before but at present only 19 pillars survive with inscriptions. Many are preserved in fragmentary state. Their height is averagely 40-50 feet and weighing up to 50 tons each. All the pillars were quarried at Chunaar, just south of Vaaraanasee, UP, and were dragged, sometimes hundreds of miles to the place where they had to be erected.

Why these pillars were erected? Ashok took over the kingdom of his grandfather Chandragupt Maurya in 269 BC. After 8 years he fought Kaling war, in which in his own words - "150,000 people were deported, 100,000 were killed and as many as that perished..." Seeing so large scale destruction he felt very bad and got converted to Buddhism. Although it did not become state religion but with his support it spread rapidly. To spread it far and wide he sent his emissaries to near and distant areas and erected these pillars with Buddhist tenets inscribed on them. legend has it that Ashok built 84,000 Stoop commemorating Buddha's life events. Some f the Stoop contained networks of walls containing the hub spokes and and rim of a wheel; while others contained interior walls in a Swaastik shape. The wheel represents the Sun, time and Buddhist law; while the Swaastik stands for the cosmic dance around a fixed center and guards against evil.

Locations of Ashok Pillars
2 pillars at Delhi - which bear the inscriptions about him are at Delhi (originally at Meerut, UP and Topra at Hariyaanaa) and then were brought
     to Delhi during the reign of Firoz Shaah Tugalaq in 1356. One of them is at Firoz Shaah Kotlaa, Delhi.
1 pillar is found at Alaahaabaad, UP - (originally located at Kaushaambee). This pillar has some inscriptions from Samudragupt and Jahaangeer also
     besides Ashok.
1 pillars found at Lauriyaa Areraj, Bihaar - This pillar is in East Champaaran District and presently has no capital.
1 pillar at Lauriyaa Nandan Garh, Bihaar - 23 km from Bettiah, West Champaaran District, Bihaar, has a single lion capital. The hump and the hind legs of
    the lion project beyond the abacus.
1 pillar at Raampoorv (the Lion capital),
1 pillar at Saankissaa - Sankissaa pillar has elephant crowning
1 pillar at Saanchee,
1 pillar at Saaranaath, UP
2 pillars are at Raampoorv - one with lions crowning and the other is with bull crowning.
2 pillars are found at Lumbinee (Rupandehi District, Nepaal) and Nigalee Saagar (also near Lumbinee, Nepaal)
2 pillars are found at Vaishaalee (with single Lion capital) and Raampoorv (with Bull Capital), but they do not have inscriptions.

Ashok Pillars in Foreign Countries
Some Ashok Pillars have been found in foreign countries too. A similar to four "Indian lion" Lion Capital of Ashok atop an Ashok Pillar at Saarnaath is found at Wat U Mong near Chiang Mai, Thailand showing Dharm Chakra prevails over beasts (lion).

Other Characteristics
These pillars were carved in two types of stone - some were in spotted red and white sandstone from Mathuraa regions. The others were of buff-colored stuff fine grained hard sandstone, usually with small black spot quarried in the Chunaar. They are uniform which shows that they were crafted from the same region craftsmen.

These pillars have four components - The shaft are always plain and smooth, circular in cross section, slightly tapering upwards, and always chiseled out of a single piece of stone. The capitals have the shape and appearance of a gently arched bell formed of lotus petals. The abaci are of two types - square and plain, and circular and decorated, and these are of different proportions. The crowning animals are either seated or standing, but always in the round and chiseled in a single piece with the abaci.

Ashok Column or Ashok pillar at Saaranaath (the iron capital) is the most celebrated pillar established there in 250 BC. On this pillar, four lions are seated back to back. This lion capital has been adopted as the national Emblem of India, and the wheel, Ashok Chakra from its base was placed onto the center of the national flag of India.

Their inscriptions are in Eastern, Middle and Western Praakrit language, which is regarded as Panjaabee or North-Western dialect, Ujjayinee or Middle dialect, and Magadhee or Eastern dialect. They all are written in Braahmee script.

The first pillar was discovered in the 16th century. It first looked of brass but after going near to it, it was found of highly polished sandstone with upright script that resembled a form of Greek. Since then about 150 Ashok inscriptions have been found, carved onto the face of rocks, or on stone pillars in North India and South India. These pillars were placed at strategic positions near border cities and trade routes.

Why is Ashok Pillar in Delhi, and a similar one in Karnaatak; And not any in Tamilnaadu ?

Home | Rel-Dictionary | Do You Know

Back