NCERT Solutions Class 6th Social Science History Chapter – 7 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War Notes

April 30, 2022

NCERT Solutions Class 6th Social Science History Chapter – 7 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War

Textbook	NCERT
Class	6^th
Subject	Social Science (History)
Chapter	7^th
Chapter Name	Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War
Category	Class 6th History Notes
Medium	English
Source	Last Doubt

NCERT Solutions Class 6th Social Science History Chapter – 7 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War Notes Who is the first lover of Ashoka?, What is Ashok wife name?, Who did Ashok marry?, Who was the mother of Ashok?, Who is the son of Ashok?, Who defeated Ashok?, Why is Ashok known as an emperor?, Where was the name of Ashok mother wife and daughter?, Is padmavati wife of Ashoka?, Who Ruled India after Ashok?, Was Kaurwaki a princess?, Who is the eldest of Maurya?, Which religion did Ashok follow?

NCERT Solutions Class 6th History Chapter – 7 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War

Chapter – 7

Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War

Notes

A very big kingdom = an empire

• The Mauryan empire that Ashoka ruled was founded by his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, more than 2300 years ago.
• Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya or Kautilya.
• There were several cities in the empire which included the capital Pataliputra, Taxila, and Ujjain.
• Taxila was a gateway to the northwest, including Central Asia, while Ujjain lay on the route from north to south India.
• Merchants, officials and crafts persons probably lived in these cities.
• In other areas there were villages of farmers and herders.
• In some areas such as central India, there were forests where people gathered forest produce and hunted animals for food.
• People in different parts of the empire spoke different languages. They probably ate different kinds of food, and wore different kinds of clothes as well.

How are empires different from kingdoms?

(i) Emperors need more resources than kings because empires are larger than kingdoms and need to be protected by big armies.
(ii) Also, they need a larger number of officials who collect taxes.

Ruling the empire

• The officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, crafts persons and traders, who lived in villages and towns in the area.
• Officials also punished those who disobeyed the ruler’s orders.
• Many of these officials were given salaries.
• Royal princes were often sent as governors of provinces which was ruled from a provincial capital such as Taxila or Ujjain.
• The Mauryas tried to control roads and rivers, which were important for transport, and to collect whatever resources were available as tax and tribute.
• For example, the Arthashastra tells us that the north-west was important for blankets, and south India for its gold and precious stones. It is possible that these resources were collected as tribute.
• People of forested regions were more or less independent, but may have been expected to provide elephants, timber, honey and wax to Maryann officials.

Ashoka, a unique ruler

• The most famous Mauryan ruler was Ashoka.
• He was the first ruler who tried to take his message to the people through inscriptions which were in Prakrit and were written in the Brahmi script.
• Ashoka’s war in Kalinga
• Ashoka was so horrified when he saw the violence and bloodshed in Kalinga’s war that he decided not to fight any more wars.
• He is the only king in the history of the world who gave up conquest after winning a war.

What was Ashoka’s dhamma?

• Ashoka’s dhamma did not involve worship of a god, or performance of a sacrifice.
• He felt that just as a father tries to teach his children, he had a duty to instruct his subjects.
• He was also inspired by the teachings of the Buddha.
• He appointed officials, known as the dhamma mahamatta who went from place to place teaching people about dhamma.
• Ashoka also sent messengers to spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka.

Ashoka, a Unique Ruler – Ashoka was the first ruler in the history of the world, who gave directions to the people through inscriptions. Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were in Prakrit and were written in Brahmi script.

Ashoka’s views on Kalinga – Ashoka tried to conquer Kalinga. However, the violence and bloodshed led him. to decide not to fight any more wars.

Ashoka’s Dhamma – These were the set of instructions given by Ashoka to his subjects, which were inspired by Buddha’s teachings. He appointed officials and Dhamma Mahamatta, who taught people about ‘dhamma’, which was one of the ways to make the society a better one.

The Capital City – We come to know about the capital through Megasthenes, who was an ambassador sent to the court of Chandragupta by the Greek ruler of West Asia, Seleucus Nicator.

Ashoka’s Messages to his Subjects – Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars. He also sent messengers to spread the Dhamma to other lands such as Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka.

The First Empire – Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire about 2300 years ago. He was supported by Chanakya or Kautilya whose ideas were written down in a book called Arthashastra.

Brahmi – It was a script used to write inscription in Ashoka’s time.

Dhamma – Ashoka’s ideas which he wanted to use to instruct his subjects were called the ‘dhamma’.

Dhamma Mahamatta – The officials Ashoka sent from place to place to teach the people his ‘dhamma’ were called ‘dhamma mahamatta’.

The Arthashastra – Chanakya’s book ‘Arthashastra’ contains his ideas. The word means ‘economics’.

Around 2300 years ago (about 300 B.C.) – Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya empire.

273 B.C. – Ashoka’s region began.

232 B.C. – Ashoka’s death.

185 B.C. – the end of the Mauryan empire.

NCERT Solutions Class 6th History All Chapter Notes

Chapter 1 What, Where, How and When?

Chapter 2 From Hunting – Gathering to Growing Food

Chapter 3 In the Earliest Cities