Ashoka and Shi Huangdi

A detailed Summary of Ashoka and Shi Huangdi

The legends of the Ashokan and the Shi Huangdi dynasties are ones that will always be questioned by scholars and historians because of their unique styles to rule such a large area. And although neither of the dynasties lasted, they both have influences that can be seen in China today. But the Ashokan dynasty is one that has never been able to be duplicated. His concepts of moral persuasion had never been tried before, in China, and they have been written about, and remembered, by Buddhists and Jainists since the end of his reign in 232 B.C.E.

Ashoka was a leader who came into his reign with many advantages, and he used them well. When he came into power, many of the surrounding countries were very diverse and vital, with the new religions of Buddhism and Jainism just beginning. The old caste systems were rejected, along with quite a few of the strict Hindu ritual rules and ideas. So Ashoka was able to take Buddhism and put it into practice with the people in China. I think Ashoka did a very good job balancing out his power. In order to take over China, he had to defeat the Kalinga empire. which showed people his strength and force. Yet after he received that power, he moved on to gain respect. Putting up his pillar

Ashoka also took very good care of his people and their land. Not only did he care about making money for himself and his empire, like most leaders did, but he actually cared about the people he was leading. There were not many rulers at that time that would have dug wells, and built inns along the road for travelers. Ashoka wanted people to live with respect and love towards each other, and he set a great example. I know if there were pillars up and down the streets with christian morals, or bible verses written on them, I would definitely think twice about the way I was going about my life that day. It almost has it's own scare tactic within it, without actually using any kind of force. I think Ashokan wasn't trying to scare people physically, but he was trying to scare them spiritually into doing what he thought was right. But it obviously worked, considering he ruled successfully for over thirty-five years.

The one good thing I think Shi Huangdi did for China was that he unified them completely. He may not have done it in a caring, or even humane way, but having a centralized writing system, legal system, and economic system was probably one of the best things that ever happened to China. They were able to communicate with each other while still speaking different languages. And more importantly, they were able to trade with surrounding empires! But I still think that killing off everyone who disagreed with him, or did anything wrong, is not the kind of leader any country would ever want to have, no matter what good things they may leave behind.

I think there is a happy medium somewhere between the rulings of Ashokan and Shi Huangdi that just hasn't been found in China yet. Take the United States for instance, we have a president who has the power to do what he wants, within reason, while at the same time being forced to keep morality and goodness in our country. Ashokan achieved that middle ground much better th

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Approximate Word count = 1314
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History