The Wide Reach of Civilisation

Ashoka’s philanthropy blossomed across the fringes of the empire, rolling out remarkable developments

Set along the Ganges, the Maurya capital of Pataliputra was one of the largest cities in the world, perhaps even larger than Rome, brimming with palaces, factories, shipyards, gardens and temples – all enclosed within enormous walls, with 570 towers and 64 gates.

However, the empire proper was enormous, spanning an incredible array of cultures and landscapes – most of it far less sophisticated than the capital. With large swathes covered in dense forest, littered with backwater villages, one of the king’s most influential moves was his introduction of Dharma mahamatras, or superintendents of morals. This new breed of officers were tasked with rolling out the king’s vision of Dharma on the ground, maintaining peace between the sects, digging wells, running hospitals and building shade alongside the road.

They were sent to the furthest reaches of the empire, teaching the tribes about Dharma, and bringing with them the high culture and technology of the Gangetic Basin, the heart of Maurya power. In the process, the peasants were ‘civilised’, brought into the fold of tax-paying society, with a respect for royal authority and Ashoka’s monks, officers and priests. The king claimed that through his efforts, many hunters and fishermen were converted to agriculturists.

Before long, black-polished pottery, writing, iron tools and spoked wheels were carried to the distant provinces. Burnt bricks would emerge for the first time in northeast India, a material that could withstand heavy rain, and therefore allow settlements to be built where mud shacks previously could not. Ring wells, meanwhile, allowed people to live further and further from the river banks. Having communicated his philosophies to the rulers of Greece, Egypt, Turkey and Sri Lanka, the king even offered medical support to neighbouring countries.