Ashoka was a Buddhist at least 2.5 years before Kalinga, as he himself admits in his minor rock edict at Maski, 260 BCE.
Hence, any views of him converting to Buddhism after seeing the carnage at Kalinga is an utter lie.
He uses the 'Buddha-Sakya' = Ordinary Follower of Buddhism in his edict at Maski.
The word 'Buddha-Sakya' in Brahmi
Ashoka, however, did not inherit, but was a convert to Buddhism.
Like his predecessors, he freely allowed the slaughter of animals in royal kitchens every day, prior to conversion. In fact, Ashoka did not become an absolute vegetarian, even after his conversion.
His meat diet was limited to the flesh of two deers and one peacock , even in 258 BCE; some six years after his conversion and though the deer was discarded later, it is not definitely known if the peacock was given up as well.
The list of animals and birds specified by Ashoka for protection in his Pillar Edict V, issued in 243 / 242 BCE does not include Peacock.
Similarly, he induldged in all kinds of royal parties and merry-making before his conversion. ( translation of a part of Pillar Edict V )
And he had been described in all texts as the one who killed his elder brother, Prince Susima for the throne.
Lastly, even as a Buddhist he didn't desist from a bloody battle at Kalinga, some 2.5 years after his conversion to Buddhism. This battle gave rise to 4 lac casualties.
Thus, no stories such as those anxiously invented by the Buddhist texts are needed to prove the miraculous power of Buddhism in converting an ordinary king into a saint.
The facts speak for themselves!
Source: 'Ashoka' by Dr. R. K. Mookerji
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This battle was fought between Mihirkula & an allied army of Indian kings led by Yashovarman & Narasimha Gupta Baladitya.
Despite of not being a very famous event, this battle decided the fate of India for next centuries.
Mihirkula, ruling most parts of Central and Western India, since 513 AD, was a barbarian, who in the absence of Central authority created a vast kingdom & enjoyed wanton destruction.
These Huns destroyed the great university at Taxila as well.
Image of Mihirkula
Such was the audacity of these Huns, that after the death of Skanda Gupta, they again invaded India and occupied territories in North and in the West.
The terrorized the local Indian kings, & the populace, and extorted money from the Gupta emperors.
Siege of Antioch, 1098 AD, between Crusaders and Turks, led by Yagi Siyan.
After months of siege, the crusaders bribed a gatekeeper named Firoz.
They then entered the city, at night and massacred every Muslim, Jew they could find.
However, the Crusaders were themselves besieged by Karbogha, a warlord, who came to help the Muslims.
The crusaders tried diplomacy with Karbogha, but it was unsuccessful.
Their supplies were running out and they had only 200 horses left.
At this moment, a pilgrim named Peter Bartholomew came forward claiming to have had visions of St. Andrew, who told him that the Holy Lance was inside the city.
He along with some of his disciplines, went inside the church, dug up the earth and came out with rusty piece of metal
The short thread would try and identify Vikramaditya, mention legends about him and would place him historically, in proper space and time.
Name:
'Vikramaditya' is a title and not a name.
Vikramaditya= Valour like the Sun.
And there have been plenty of kings, who have been identified with this title.
Let us describe them one by one.
Vikramaditya of Ujjain ( 57 BCE)
The earliest references to Vikramaditya is in 'Britha-katha manjari', however the book is lost and portions of it may be Gupta era interpolations, like in Katha-saritasagara.
The Nandas were a dynasty of ancient Magadha, which created a large empire from Beas river to Odhisa.
They were exceedingly rich, powerful and perhaps the first Shudra dynasty of India.
Dates:
1) Vishnu Puran gives a date of 40 years of Nandas reign;
2) Matasya Purana gives 88 years ;
3) Tāranātha gives 29 years to Nanda dynasty.
Historians have given the dates which ranges from 387 BCE to 345 BCE.
Origins of Nandas : Buddhist Sources
Urgrasena Nanda or Mahapadma Nanda :-
The pali texts on the origin of Nandas present a glimpse on the origin of Nandas. His early life was quite romantic. Originally, he was from frontiers ( pachhanta-vasika).