The average Indian probably encounters, in an indirect way, one of ancient India’s greatest rulers several times a day in the chakra that adorns the Tricolour as well as the four-lion National Emblem ...

Ashoka’s name echoes through history—first as a fierce king who conquered Kalinga, then as the guy who swapped swords for compassion after seeing the carnage. His Dhamma wasn’t just royal PR; it was a ...

Patrick Olivelle’s new book, Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King, on the Mauryan emperor views him purely as a historical figure, without the myths – using only the ancient emperor’s own ...

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...

Ashoka’s Dhamma, according to the Ashoka's edict, is not a religion or religious system, but a moral law (a common code of conduct). Dhamma was completely cosmopolitan, capable of universal ...

History books chronicle the roads, edicts and Ashoka’s philosophy of dhamma. The pre-transformation Ashoka, the apparently heartless warrior before the Kalinga war, does not get a mention in textbooks ...