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Shahbazgarhi |
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| Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius. | ||
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An ancient traveler leaving Taxila, crossing the Indus at Hund, and travelling to the west, to Iran or Sogdia, would pass along Shahbazgarhi. In the Indian legends, this site is connected to the stories about Buddha's earlier birth as prince Visvantre. | |
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Over here, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (269-232), who conquered almost the entire subcontinent and converted to Buddhism, ordered several rock edicts to be cut in stone. Everyone arriving from the west would understand the laws of his empire. The edicts are cut in two large rocks, one on the slope of the hill, and one in the valley. | |
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The large rock of Shahbazgarhi, containing thirteen edicts. The largest rock contains the text of thirteen edicts, incised on both faces of this large boulder. The main purpose of the edicts was to establish dhamma, justice. However, the king asks: what constitutes dhamma? He answers that it includes much good and little evil, kindness, generosity, truthfulness and purity. | |
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The large rock of Shahbazgarhi. The general gist of the edicts is:
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The large rock of Shahbazgarhi, detail, showing the characters of the kharoshthi-alphabet. | |
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The smaller boulder contains the text of twelve edicts.
Ashoka said: "This dhamma edict has been written on stone so that it might endure long and that future generations may act in conformity with it." (Edict 5) |
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