Ideas Related to war in Ancient India: Mahābhārata, Aśoka and Hero-Stones

Abstract

Over the years, perspectives towards the idea of war have resulted in a fierce debate that ensues till date. On one side are the pacifists who believe that war and violence are unjustifiable. On the other side are the hawkish militarists who feel that engaging in violence for one’s cause requires no justification. It is rather interesting to note that this debate between violence and non-violence can be traced in ancient Indian history too. This paper attempts to explore two perspectives of war which are polar opposites of each other. The two differing viewpoints have been explored through the lens of the Mahabharata and Ashokan inscriptions. Moreover, this essay will also briefly highlight how the study of perspectives towards war in ancient India can be made more nuanced and rich by carefully studying the tradition of hero -stones along with the texts and inscriptions.