SOURCE4 The furthest extent of the Mauryan Empire, as achieved by Ashoka. Also shown are the sites where Ashoka erected his rock or pillar edicts.
Taxila
0
250
500
750
kilometres
Indrapastha
Ayodhya
Pataliputra
MAURYAN EMPIRE
Sanchi
Tamralipti
Girnir
G o d
ARABIAN
KALINGA
SEA
BAY OF
Key
Taxila
Settlement
BENGAL
Ashokan rock or pillar edict
Mauryan Empire c. 250 BCE
CHOLA
Seleucid Empire
Independent Greco-Macedonian city-states
PANDYA
Border of Gupta Empire
INDIAN OCEAN Border of Vedic Civilisation
Modern India border
TAMRAPARNI
Empire
CHOLA
Source: Spatial Vision
SkillBuilder discussion Using historical sources 1. Read SOURCE5 .What are some qualities that Dhamma has? 2. What gifts does the speaker claim to have given to animals? 3. What should people reþect on to avoid evil deeds?
SOURCE5 From the pillar edicts of Ashoka
Dhamma is good, but what constitutes Dhamma? [It includes] little evil, much good, kindness, generosity, truthfulness and purity. I have given the gift of sight in various ways. To two-footed and four-footed beings, to birds and aquatic animals, I have given various things including the gift of life. And many other good deeds have been done by me. People see only their good deeds saying, ‘I have done this good deed.’ But they do not see their evil deeds saying, ‘I have done this evil deed’ or ‘This is called evil.’ But this [tendency] is difýcult to see. One should think like this: ‘It is these things that lead to evil, to violence, to cruelty, anger, pride and jealousy. Let me not ruin myself with these things.’ And further, one should think: ‘This leads to happiness in this world and the next.’
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator