Asoka: Ruler of The Mauryan Empire

1. Do the Ends Justify the Means? -That is, is it sometimes okay for actions to cause pain and suffering along the way if the final result-the end- is positive?

2. -Situation One: Three players on the Detroit Tigers baseball team secretly take steroid drugs to buildmore muscle mass. All three make the American League All-Star team and then lead the Tigers to awin in the World Series. The victory is a great boost for the struggling Detroit economy. The city isdeliriously happy. (Fictional story)

3. -Situation Two: The computer lab at LefkowitzHigh School is vandalized, with damagestotaling over $200,000. The principal has firm evidence that several students in the Tuesday 7th ‘ period class were responsible, but he doesn’t know which ones. Since no one is talking, he suspendsthe entire class for the rest of the school year. Finally, feeling the pressure, two boys admit to thecrime one week later.

4. -Situation Three: To improve air-travel security, the federal government orders full-body X-ray scansandfull-body pat downs of all passengers passing through security in American airports, despite complaints that this represents an invasion of privacy.

5. -Situation Four: In order to control its fast-growing population, China establishes a one-child policy.Parents who produce more than one child must pay a special high tax. Population rates decline.

6. -Situation Five: A civil war is fought to hold a nation together and to end slavery. Six hundredthousand soldiers die. The nation does hold together and slavery is abolished.

7. Asoka: Ruler of The Mauryan Empire Ruthless Conqueror or Enlightened Ruler?

8. Asoka-Around 270 BC, Asoka became king of the Mauryan Empire.-Emperor Asoka ruled the Mauryan Empire for 37 years.-Asoka would become the strongest of all Mauryan emperors.-Asoka conquered many kingdoms and extended Mauryan rule over most of India. This made his empire both stronger and richer.

9. Asoka-For many years, Asoka watched his armies fight many bloody battles to expand his territory.-Finally, after the bloody Kalinga Campaign, Asoka converted to Buddhism.-The Kalinga Campaign was estimated to have cost over one hundred thousand lives. Asoka felt no triumph over this victory because of the heavy losses; therefore, he decided to change his approach to ruling.

10. Asoka • Asoka became greatly influenced by Buddhism, but rather than try to convert other Indians to what he believed, he respected their differences and encouraged religious toleration. • Similar to the Hindu idea of dharma, his public policy revolved around a concept known as Dhamma. According to this policy, if everyone and everything tried to carry out its role, the universe will function harmoniously.

11. Asoka • After converting, Asoka worked to improve his empire by building Buddhist temples and schools throughout India. • More importantly, he worked to spread Buddhism into areas outside of India. • Asoka sent Buddhist missionaries, or people who work to spread their religious beliefs, to other kingdoms in Asia.

12. Asoka • Asoka also improved the lives of his people by digging wells and building roads throughout the MauryanEmpire. • Along these roads, workers planted shade trees and built rest houses for tired travelers.

13. Asoka • Asoka also built huge columns, or edicts, carved with Buddhist teachings all over India. • These stone monuments, or edicts, served as billboards across the empire. They were written in several languages so that his subjects could understand the principals that guided his rule.

14. Asoka • The Mauryan Empire collapsed about 50 years after Asoka’s death, but his impact on India remained powerful. He is also largely responsible for the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia. Regardless of Asoka’s accomplishments, his early deeds as emperor led to the loss of many lives. • Does the end justify the means? • Asoka: Ruthless conqueror or enlightened ruler?