Ashoka, popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third Mauryan Emperor of Magadha in the South Asia during c. 268 to 232 BCE. His empire covered the largest part of the South Asia, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east, with its capital at Pataliputra. A patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role in the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain; its capital city was located at Pataliputra. Outside this imperial centre, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities scattered within it. During Ashoka's rule, the empire briefly controlled the major urban hubs and arteries of the Indian subcontinent excepting the deep south. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule, and dissolved in 185 BCE with the assassination of Brihadratha by Pushyamitra Shunga and foundation of the Shunga dynasty in Magadha.
The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who reigned the Indian subcontinent from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the expression Dhaṃma Lipi to describe his own Edicts. These inscriptions were dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and provide the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. The edicts describe in detail Ashoka's view on dhamma, an earnest attempt to solve some of the problems that a complex society faced. According to the edicts, the extent of Buddhist proselytism during this period reached as far as the Mediterranean, and many Buddhist monuments were created.
Kaurvaki was the "Second Queen Consort" of the third Mauryan emperor, Ashoka. She was Ashoka's fourth wife and 2nd chief empress consort. She was the mother of Ashoka's fourth son, Prince Tivala.
The Kalinga War was fought in ancient India between the Maurya Empire under Ashoka and Kalinga, an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the present-day state of Odisha and northern parts of Andhra Pradesh. It is presumed that the battle was fought on Dhauli hills in Dhauli which is situated on the banks of Daya River. The Kalinga War was one of the largest and deadliest battles in Indian history.
Ashok Kumar Banker is an author and screenwriter. His writing spans crime thrillers, essays, literary criticism, fiction and Indian mythology. The author of several well-received novels including a trilogy billed as "India's first crime novels in English", he became widely known for his retellings of Indian mythological epics, starting with the internationally acclaimed and best-selling eight-volume Ramayana Series. His books have sold over 2 million copies and have been published in 16 languages in 58 countries. His Epic India Library is an attempt at retelling all the myths, legends and itihasa of the Indian sub-continent in one story cycle comprising over 70 volumes.
The Nine Unknown is a 1923 novel by Talbot Mundy. Originally serialised in Adventure magazine, it concerns the Nine Unknown Men, a secret society founded to preserve and develop knowledge that would be dangerous to humanity if it fell into the wrong hands. The nine unknown men were entrusted with guarding nine books of secret knowledge.
The Major Rock Edicts of Indian Emperor Ashoka refer to 14 separate major Edicts of Ashoka which are significantly detailed and represent some of the earliest dated rock inscriptions of any Indian monarch. These edicts are preceded chronologically by the Minor Rock Edicts.
Devdutt Pattanaik is a mythologist and writer from Mumbai, India. He writes on mythology, the study of cultural truths revealed through stories, symbols and rituals. He lectures on the relevance of both Indian and Western myths in modern life. His work focuses largely on the areas of religion, mythology, and management. He has authored and illustrated over 50 books, including ABC Of Hinduism, Bahubali : 63 insights into Jainism, and Yoga Mythology: 64 Asanas and Their Stories.
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana.
Amish Tripathi is an author, former diplomat and broadcaster from India. He is among the fastest-selling authors in Indian publishing history, known best for The Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series.
Wytze or Wietse Keuning was a Dutch school teacher, author and classical music critic. He was the co-author of three series of successful primary schoolbooks and one book of folk tales for young people. He wrote three novels situated in the northern part of Holland and a three-part three-volume fictionalized biography of Ashoka the Great. Keuning finished writing a two-part historical novel on Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, but died before the publication process was started.
Anand Neelakantan an Indian novelist, columnist, screenwriter, and public speaker. He is known for writing mythological fiction and has authored 14 books in English and one in Malayalam. He has been writing a column in the The New Indian Express since 2017.
Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku is a one to one replica of the events taking place before the epic tale "Ramayana" and also the fourth book of Amish Tripathi, fourth book of Amishverse, and first book of Ram Chandra Series. It was released on 22 June 2015. It is based on Ram, the legendary Indian king regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu. The title was revealed by the author at the Jaipur Literature Festival. The story begins with King Dashrath of Ayodhya being defeated in a war by Lankan trader Raavan, and the birth of his son Ram. It follows through Ram's childhood and tutelage, along with the politics surrounding his ascension to the throne, and ultimately his 14-year exile, accompanied by wife Sita and brother Lakshman.
The Emperor's Riddles is a mystery thriller debut novel by Indian author Satyarth Nayak. The novel consists of a present-day trail of cryptic riddles scattered across India that must be solved one by one to unveil an ancient Indian secret. This journey plays out in the context of an esoteric legend involving one of the most iconic Emperors of the history of India. The book was first released at the New Delhi World Book Fair in February 2014. It turned out to be a bestselling thriller with the media calling it "a hit with young readers".
Flood of Fire is a 2015 novel by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh. Following the Sea of Poppies (2008) and River of Smoke (2011), the novel is the final installment of the Ibis trilogy, which concerns the 19th-century opium trade between India and China. The book was first published by the English publisher John Murray, and later by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the United States. The novel was shortlisted for The Hindu Literary Prize and received the Crossword Book Jury Award in Fiction in 2015.
The Mahabharata Quest: The Alexander Secret is the second novel by Indian author Christopher C. Doyle and was released on 9 October 2014 by Westland Publishers. The story follows Vijay and his friends as they embark on a quest to learn about Alexander the Great's secret mission in India while encountering bioterrorism. Following his first novel, The Mahabharata Secret, Doyle was signed for a three book series by Westland. The author researched further on the Mahabharata and was also intrigued by Alexander's invasion of India and his sudden retreat. Doyle combined secrets from the epic and created the story, stating that he consulted Sanskrit scholars and science experts regarding the theories he put in the book. The Mahabharata Quest: The Alexander Secret was a commercial success and received positive critical reviews, which praised the storytelling and the theme.
The Minor Rock Edicts of Ashoka are rock inscriptions which form the earliest part of the Edicts of Ashoka, and predate Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts. These are the first edicts in the Indian language of Emperor Ashoka, written in the Brahmi script in the 11th year of his reign. They follow chronologically the Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription, in Greek and in Aramaic, written in the 10th year of his reign, which is the first known inscription of Ashoka.
The Major Pillar Edicts of Indian Emperor Ashoka refer to 7 separate major Edicts of Ashoka inscribed on columns, which are significantly detailed and are among the earliest dated inscriptions of any Indian monarch. An English translation of the Edicts was published by Romila Thapar.
Priyadasi, also Piyadasi or Priyadarshi, was the name of a ruler in ancient India, or simply an honorific epithet which means "He who regards others with kindness", "Humane", "He who glances amiably".
