What is Buddhism?
What is Buddhism? Ouick Facts on Mauryan Empire. Find out more!
Did you know that it is the world’s fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists.
Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama who lived from 563 to 483 BC. During Ashoka’s reign Siddhartha Gautama was a noble man unhappy with his life.
He left his home searching for a simple way of living embracing ascetic life. Siddhartha Gautama has searched around India for six years a solution for world’s problems.
One day he sat under a sacred fig tree to contemplate life’s philosophy.
The Tree of Enlightenment
This is called Bo Tree or the Tree of Enlightenment. He sat there for 49 days until he reached a state of enlightenment and a state of peace. A branch of the original tree was rooted in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka in 288 BC and is known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi; it is the oldest living human-planted flowering plant in the world. Ficus religiosa is used in traditional medicine for about fifty types of disorders including asthma, diabetes or epilepsy.
Buddha means the Enlighted one.
He taught people how to lead the healthy and peaceful life trough overcoming egoism and through concern about others.
Pataliputra
Did you know that one of the biggest ancient India capitals has left very few archeological artifacts?
Pataliputra was the capital of Mauryan Empire which was founded by Chandragupta in India and lasted from 320–180 BCE. After Alexander the Great troops withdrew from India a new empire rose under Chandragupta in 322 BCE.
Mauryan Empire
At its peak the Mauryan Empire occupied the entire Indian subcontinent .
Megasthenes mentioned Pataliputra as a city in his work Indika. Indika described Pataliputra as a large and prosperous city.
Pataliputra archeological site was first identified in modern times in 1892.
But very few archaeological remnants are left from Pataliputra, but we have information indirectly from art and stupas built in the shape of a Dome.
Stupas contain relics of Buddha. The oldest stupa is the great stupa from Sanchi.
Ashoka
During the reign of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, it was one of the world’s largest cities, with a population of about 150,000–400,000.
Pataliputra was the capital of the great Mauryan Emperors, Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka. Above all the city prospered under the Mauryas.
Maurya followed by his son Bindusara has occupied almost all India. His grandson Ashoka expanded the empire more ocupying Kalinga.
Ashoka converted to Buddhism and during his time Maurya dynasty flourished.
Pataliputra has disappeared from India’s cultural life in mysterious ways probably due to a flood from Gange River or fire. And…
Ashoka the Great – World History Encyclopedia
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