Emperor Ashoka was a very ambitious person. He believed in the further expansion of the empire. His theory was that it was the duty of every Emperor to add to the legacy as his contribution to justify his tenure. He had grandiose plans of his own and he began to put his plans in actions.
For his expansion he adopted the policy of his ancestors who had successfully dealt with the Satraps of Alexander the Great. The policy was to befriend the foreign rulers and take over the weak local rulers. First of all he targetted Kashmir that had refused to totally fall and become the part of Magadha Empire during Chandragupta Maurya and Bindusara’s reign. Ashoka had to improve on his ancestors. So, he launched a mighty attack on Kashmir and vanquished it. Kashmir became a part of Magadha Empire.
The numerous other local kingdoms got usurped by Emperor Ashoka. Now he was the mighty Emperor of a vast empire. He wished to settle down to enjoy the unlimited power. There remained only one thorn in his flesh, the independent kingdom of Kalinga that refused to bow to him. It was situated on the southern borders of his empire.
On the three sides it was flanked by Magadha areas and in the remaining side Bay of Bengal faced it.
So far it had escaped the attention of Magadha army because it remained busy in western parts and far away western and north-western lands. So, Magadha mostly kept diplomatic pressure on it demanding the acceptance of the domination of Magadha Empire. But Kalinga refused to oblige. Its king was a proud man who would not give up his sovereignty. Emperor Ashoka wanted this irritant also removed.
Kalinga consisted of lands in between Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna. The rivers served as protective water barriers of Kalinga, a very formidable challenge for any invader. On the eastern flank the blue sea safe-guarded it.
Bindusara had once tried to win Kalinga through his military power. But the reserve army of Magadha proved ineffective against those barriers inspite of laying siege around it on the three landed sides.
The three rivers enriched Kalinga was a prosperous land. The dense forests of this region were the home of thousands of elephants. It yielded a rich harvest of elephant tusks and the ivory crafts prospered. Kalinga had very profitable trade relations with Burma (Myanmar) and South-East Asian countries.
Thus, Kalinga was a prize for Magadha Empire. Emperor Ashoka would not rest till he owned it. He assembled a huge army for the invasion consisting of 60,000 infantry, 100 cavalry soldiers and 700 strong elephant division.
In the year 261 B.C. Magadha forces invaded Kalinga after establishing breach heads. Kalinga army stood up to defend its land and tried to engage the army of Magadha being lead by Ashoka himself. The Kalingans fought bravely with the full support of the people. They were all defending their freedom. But Magadha army was too large and strong to be countered by the forces of Kalinga.
After a grim battle Ashoka won at the cost of heavy casualties. Kalingans had vied with one another in laying down their lives for their country as a sacred duty. It all resulted in heavy loss of life, material and money. It was infact staggering. Almost one hundred thousand soldiers, militia volunteers and civilians died. Magadha army imprisoned 1½ lacs of Kalinga soldiers, volunteers and civilian fighters. Besides this thousands dies of starvation, grief, shock and diseases.
Ashoka won the battle but lost the moral war.
He rode on his horse to survey the engagement area to see the aftermath of the battle to feed his ego. But what he saw shook him. Miles and miles of the battle field was strewn with dead, severed bodies, fatally injured and maimed ones screaming in agony, sick with festering wounds, rotting bodies of horses and elephants. It was an horrible sight.
Ashoka’s conscience screamed at him. He closed his eyes unable to bear the scene. He saw Vidisha sitting by the side of a bush crying. He shuddered. Was expansion of the empire worth all this macabre game?
A pack of hyaenas was feasting on a dead horse. The pack laughed grotesquely at him. Ashoka put his hands on his ears.
The sky was full of circling vultures. Hundreds or thousands of them were on the ground dancing around dead bodies. How obscene, Ashoka thought! Then a king vulture descended on the swollen dead body of an elephant. It looked at Ashoka as if to say, ‘You are the best ally we ever had Emperor Ashoka’
A hyaena laughed.
Ashoka could not take it any more. He spurred his horse and fled from the scene.
‘‘Who…who goes there?’’ a sound moaned.
Ashoka stopped his horse and turned back to see. It was horribly wounded soldier. His right leg lay twisted, half of his left foot was missing and both of his arms had been severed from the shoulders. He made a pitiable sight.
The wounded one groaned, ‘‘You look like the Emperor Ashoka…are you?’’
Ashoka sadly nodded his head.
‘‘Majesty, I am dying an agonising death. I can’t bear it. Please…h…have mercy on…me…ee…! End my agony…eee….O Emperor…m…mighteee…!’’
‘‘Soldier…sorry…I can’t kill,’’ Ashoka groaned.
‘‘Can’t kill?’’ the soldier screamed.
A shocked Ashoka rode his horse off. The soldier kept screaming after him.
Emperor Ashoka returned a shattered person. He kept brooding in his tent. Suddenly he screamed at the soldiers that the preparations for the victory celebrations be stopped at once.
The baffled soldiers and commanders obeyed.
On that night Ashoka could not banish Vidisha from his mind. He remembered every word she had said against violence. If wishes were horse Ashoka would have flown to her and wept on her shoulder. Now he could realise the futility of wars, violence, empire expansions and cruelties.
He found it hard to sleep. Horrific scenes of the battle field kept haunting his mind. In sheer frustration he gulped down half a flagon of wine. It helped him fall asleep.
Then, he found someone trying to wake him up. He sleepily hummed, ‘‘Unh…hunh…who?’’
‘‘Can’t you recognise my voice?’’ a giggle spoke.
‘‘Vidisha dear!’’ He opened his eyes wide. Yes, it was Vidisha right in front of him.
‘‘But how…?’’
‘‘Don’t but how! Do you know Emperor Ashoka is dead? Mighty Lord of Magadha is history, dear.’’
‘‘What?’’ Ashoka exclaimed.
‘‘I thought you had gone to survey the battle field. So, I assumed you must have seen his corpse. It was right under that upturned chariot a little away from where hyaenas were laughing.’’
Ashoka stared at her.
‘‘But I am alive…right here.’’ Ashoka stammered.
‘‘No. You are my stammering Prince Ashoka who was made fun of by my naughty girl friends. Remember? I am talking of that power hungry ruthless Emperor of Magadha who killed his brothers in cold blood and beheaded those rebels in Ujjaini. Believe me he is dead,’’ Vidisha whispered.
‘‘He is dead!’’
‘‘Dead. Baby Sanghamitra is outside. She wants to meet her loving father. Call her in.’’
‘‘Oh! Sanghamitra my baby! Sangha!!’’
There was no response. Vidisha had suddenly vanished. Had she gone to look for baby Sangha?
Ashoka again called out, ‘‘Sangha! Sangha!!’’
Were the mother and daughter playing pranks on him?
‘‘Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!’’ a soldier voice called out. Emperor Ashoka opened his eyes and shook his head to clear his mind.
‘‘What is it, soldier?’’
‘‘Sir, you were calling out to some one. We just wondered if you needed one of us,’’ the soldier explained.
‘‘Did a woman and a baby girl come here?’’
‘‘No, Your Majesty. What are you saying? It is our military camp. Even a bird is not permitted to flutter in.’’
Emperor Ashoka nodded his head and dismissed the soldier ordering him to serve a glass of sherbet early at dawn. It was still night.
‘So it was a dream. But some dreams are more real than the reality,’ Ashoka thought.
