This story takes place in ancient Indian civilization.
Kalinga was a small kingdom in ancient India. It was located on the east coast of India, facing the Bay of Bengal. It survived until 261 BC, when it was destroyed by King Ashoka's conquest and incorporated into the territory of Magadha.
Magadha was an important kingdom in ancient India. It was located in the Ganges River Basin, north of the Kalinga Kingdom. At that time, Magadha was ruled by the Mauryan Dynasty. The Battle of Kalinga was a war in which Ashoka, the third generation king of the Maurya Dynasty, expanded his territory and conquered Kalinga.
Ashoka is a famous emperor in India. In the minds of Indians, Ashoka is like our Chinese Qin Shihuang. However, Ashoka's influence on India is probably not comparable to Qin Shihuang's profound and long-term influence on Chinese history.
Historians said in the general history that the Battle of Kalinga was a "particularly cruel war", which shows that the powerful conquerors encountered resolute resistance from the conquered.
In 261 BC, King Asoka personally led 150,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, and thousands of war elephants to conquer Kalinga. Jilinga has 60,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and hundreds of war elephants. It is obvious that the enemy is strong and we are weak. The result of the war was: "150,000 people were taken away as prisoners, 100,000 people were killed, and many times that number died."
This battle destroyed the Kalinga Kingdom, and the war The "particular cruelty" of King Asoka also caused "a change in his heart". From then on, King Asoka devoted himself to promoting and realizing the teachings of the Buddha. He longs for a future that is “safe, sane, and in which all people have inner peace and gentleness.”
He imitated the rulers of Persia and carved his edicts on rocks, caves, and purpose-built pillars. Among them, the thirteenth edict engraved on the rock reads: "150,000 people were taken as prisoners, 100,000 were killed, and many times that number died." Beloved by the gods The conquerors of Kalinga now felt remorseful and felt deep sorrow and remorse, for the conquest of a previously unconquered people involved massacre, death, and deportation? Even those who escaped the disaster suffered because of them. "Excruciating pain at the misfortune that has befallen my ever-loved friends, acquaintances, companions and relatives." Therefore, everyone suffered misfortune, and this made the king's heart very heavy.
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are all Indian cultures, and killing (non-violence), rebirth and karma (laws about the consequences of moral actions) are the basic concepts of Indian culture. Indians believe in the liberation of the soul, the reincarnation of karma, and advocate non-violence and non-killing.
It is said that shortly after the Battle of Kalinga, King Ashoka declared Buddhism as his state religion, summoned a large number of Buddhist monks across the country, compiled Buddhist classics, and built Buddhist temples and pagodas in various places. In order to promote Buddhism, King Ashoka sent a large number of envoys and monks, including princes and princesses, to neighboring countries and regions to preach. Buddhism not only spread throughout Ceylon, but also soon spread to Egypt, Syria, China, Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia. A war changed an emperor and led to the spread of Buddhism. It is really touching.
The fact that Ashoka "experienced a change in his heart" is actually no accident. It turns out that Magadha is one of the important and Buddhist places in India. It is said that the Buddha spent most of his life in Magadha. In the history of Buddhism, the Rajagaha Gathering and the Hua Clan Gathering were both in Magadha. In such a cultural atmosphere, how could Ashoka remain unaffected.
It is said that the place where Kalinga is located is known as the land of pure Hinduism and is known as the holy land of Hinduism. Ancient books say it is a "holy country". "A place where sins can be redeemed." This means that in the Battle of Kalinga, the Buddhist country conquered the Hindu country. It seems that although both Buddhism and Hinduism must respect the teachings of God and respect the prohibition of killing, rebirth and karma, in order to conquer territory, human interests are still higher than the interests of God.