King Aśoka and Buddhism: Historical and Literary Studies

The book opens with Richard Gombrich’s study of Aśoka as “the great upāsaka,” emphasizing the emperor’s inscriptions, his personal commitment to dhamma, and his enduring status as a paradigmatic Buddhist lay ruler. Romila Thapar then examines how Buddhism appears in the Aśokan edicts, distinguishing the emperor’s ethical dhamma from narrowly sectarian Buddhist doctrine while recognizing its Buddhist influence. Ananda W. P. Guruge addresses unresolved tensions between Buddhist tradition and Aśokan inscriptions, especially regarding Aśoka’s conversion, chronology, missionary work, and historical reliability. N. A. Jayawickrama focuses on the relationship between Aśoka’s edicts and the Third Buddhist Council, assessing the evidence for royal intervention in the purification and consolidation of the Saṅgha. Anuradha Seneviratna studies Aśoka’s significance for Sri Lanka, particularly the mission of Mahinda, the role of Saṅghamittā, the Bodhi Tree tradition, and the formation of a Sinhala Buddhist state. John S. Strong explores the legendary and literary images of Aśoka in Indian and Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions, including narratives of relics, stūpas, queens, and acts of devotion. The final essay by Guruge reviews Aśoka’s place in history by comparing Indian traditions, northern Buddhist sources, Sri Lankan Pāli sources, inscriptions, and modern scholarly interpretations.