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Aoka popularly known as Aoka the great was a versatile genius and one of the most remarkable personalities in the history of the world. He was at the same time a great conqueror and builder, statesman and administrator, religious and social reformer and philosopher and saint. One of India s greatest emperors, Aoka reigned over most of present!day "akistan and Afghanistan in the #est, to the present!day $angaladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east and as far %outh as &orthern 'erala and Andhra "radesh. 'ing Aoka, an adherent of the common Indian religion for about nine years after his coronation, devoted himself in the pursuit and spread of the $uddhistic duties after his conversion into $uddhism in the tenth (egnal year. $esides, $uddhist traditions also represent Aoka as converted to $uddhism as an )p*saka, i. e. follower of +ord $uddha and as a patron of $uddhism. As a devotee of $uddha he prohibited cruel shows like bull!fights, athletic combats, bullock cart races, etc. and in place encouraged religious spectacles everywhere. According to Aoka, Dharma included avoidance of sins, ample goodness, kindness, charity, truthfulness and cleanness, while sin included fierceness, harshness, anger, arrogance, envy and slanderous habit. $eing a $uddhist, he never mentions the name of -od in his inscriptions in the usual sense of the term but he has great faith in ne.t life and heaven, an anti $uddhistic attitude. Aoka s teachings are confined essentially to a practical code of morals and are not based on any special dogma, either metaphysical or theological. 'ing Aoka understood a number of virtues to constitute his Dharma. /hese included the least amount of sin and the greatest amount of good done to others as well as compassion, liberality, truthfulness, purity, gentleness and goodness. -ood conduct, self!control, purity of thought, gratitude and firm devotion are e.tolled as also the absence of violence, cruelty, anger, vanity and 0ealousy. In addition to these, 'ing Aoka recommended compassion, reverence, sympathy and truthfulness and condemned cruelty, irreverence, intolerance and falsehood. /he virtue on which he laid the greatest emphasis is the regard for the sanctity of life. /he other two virtues almost equally emphasi1ed are liberality reverence to all persons deserving of it by reason of rank, age or station. /he present edition contains ten chapters. $esides, five Appendices are also added, viz. Appendi. 2 A23 On Aokan 4hronology from the legends, Appendi. 2$ 23 On the 4hronology of the Aokan 5dicts, Appendi. 2 4 2 3 On the %cripts, 6ialects and -rammar of the Inscriptions, Appendi. 2 6 2 3 A supposed Aokan Inscription in Aramaic script found at /a.ila, etc., Appendi. 2 5 2 3 -lossary. In addition to these, %elect $ibliography and -eneral Inde. are also appended for the benefit of (esearchers as well as general readers.

However, the present work will definitely help the students of Ancient Indian History, Archaeology, Epigraphy and Sanskrit.