... the next through teachings of dhamma.5 Despite the idea of dhamma being so 'ideal', it seemed the empire Ashoka wanted so desperately to create was almost an impossible goal he was trying to achieve. Ashoka's paternal kingship6 seemed unrealistic due to the fact that India was a country full of caste, occupational and local jealousies7. Did Ashoka honestly believe that such a system would be feasible? It was also noted that in the latter part of his reign, Ashoka became so obsessed with dhamma that other royal members of the kingdom considered him a danger to the empire8. Perhaps this obsession was built over a period of time after realising that his achievement of the perfect empire would fail? According to the idealised scriptures of the edicts, I believe that what was inscribed assisted us in understanding the character of Ashoka more so than his empire. We can conclude that Ashoka was a ...

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