Edicts of Ashoka

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/edicts-of-ashoka

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the inscriptional mediums?Pillars of Ashoka, boulders, and cave walls
2. What is the imperial title used?Devanampiya ('Beloved of the Gods')
3. What are Ashoka's Edicts?They are ancient messages carved into stone by Emperor Ashoka, telling people how to be kind and fair.
4. Why did Ashoka put his messages on pillars and rocks?He wanted everyone in his big empire to read them, so he carved them on big stone pillars that could be seen from far away.

Dhamma Lipi: Prakrit term for 'Inscriptions of the Dhamma,' used by Ashoka for his edicts.
Ahimsa: Sanskrit term for non-violence, a core principle in Ashoka's Dhamma.
Eusebeia: Greek term for 'piety' or 'devotion,' used to translate Dhamma in Greek edicts.
Dhamma-vijaya: Ashoka's concept of conquest through righteousness and moral persuasion, replacing military conquest.