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Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor at Pariyatti.org

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Author: Allen, Charles
Publisher: Overlook Press
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Product Type: Hardcover Book
Pages: 460
ISBN 13: 978-1-4683-0071-0

ISBN 10:

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SKU:

SKU:200710

Description

Ashoka Maurya or Ashoka the Great as he was later known holds a special place in the history of India. Through his third century BCE quest to govern the Indian subcontinent by moral force alone, Ashoka transformed Buddhism from a minor sect into a major world religion. His bold experiment ended in tragedy, and in the tumult that followed the historical record was cleansed so effectively that his name was largely forgotten for almost two thousand years.

Yet, a few mysterious stone monuments and inscriptions miraculously survived the purge. In Ashoka: The Search for India s Lost Emperor, historian Charles Allen tells the incredible story of how a few enterprising archaeologists deciphered the mysterious lettering on keystones and recovered India s ancient past. Drawing from rich sources, Allen crafts a clearer picture of this enigmatic figure than ever before.

Charles Allen is the author of many distinguished books about India and the colonial experience, including Plain Tales from the Raj, Kipling Sahib, and The Buddha and Dr. Fuhrer. A traveller, historian, and master storyteller, he is one of the great chroniclers of India.

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P
Pariyatti Staff Member
It's a Great Read!

It's a great read! Charles Allen has a very accessible writing style, for those who may be scared off by dry historical writing. At times, the way he unfolded the chapters, I felt like I was reading a detective novel! I do recall him writing about the dominance of Brahmanism over Buddha's teaching and he was even bold enough to point out that some of the archaeologists uncovering these stone relics were skewing history based on their own prejudices - in some cases leaning toward Brahmanism. All in all, I finished the book with a more earthy vision of Ashoka. I'd recommend it for any one going on the Pilgrimage. Lastly, this book moved me to buy these other books since he referenced them quite a bit: The Dipavamsa, The Mahavamsa, The Silk Road Journey with Xuangzang, A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms by Faxian

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