1837.] Inscriptions on the columns at Delhi, #<?. 1057 



sively the history of this celebrated ruler, and there are occasional 

 notices of him in the Tikd of that work, which also I have touched 

 upon in my introduction to that publication. He occupies also a con- 

 spicuous place in my article No. 2, on Buddhistical annals. His his- 

 tory may be thus summed up. 



He was the grandson of Chandagutto (Sandracottus) and son of 

 Bindusaro who had a numerous progeny, the issue of no less than 

 sixteen consorts. Dhanmasoko, who had but one uterine brother, 

 named Tisso, appears to have been of a turbulent and ambitious cha- 

 racter ; Bindusa'ro consigned him to an honorable banishment by 

 conferring on him the government of Ujjdni (Oujein)* " in his ap- 

 prehension arising from a rumour which had prevailed that he (Asoko) 

 would murder his own father ; and being therefore desirous of em- 

 ploying him at a distance, established him at Ujjdni, conferring the 

 government of that kingdom on him." 



While administering that government he formed a connection with 

 Chk'tiya De'wi a princess of CMtiyagiri, and had by her a son and 

 daughter, Mahindo and Sanghamitta', who followed their father to 

 Patilipura, subsequently entered into the sacerdotal order, and were 

 the missionaries who converted Ceylon to Buddhism. Che'tiya De'wi 

 herself returned to her native city. On his death-bed, Bindusa'ro 

 sent a " letter" recalling him to his capital, Patilipura. He hastened 

 thither, and as soon as his parent expired, put all his brothers, except- 

 ing Tisso, to death, and usurped the empire. He raised Tisso to the 

 dignity of Upardjd, — which would appear to be the recognition of the 

 succession to the throne. 



In the 4th year after his accession, being the year of Buddho 218, 

 and before Christ 325f, he was inaugurated, or anointed king. In 

 the 3rd year of his inauguration, he was converted to Buddhism by the 

 priest Nigrodho the son of his eldest murdered brother, Sumano. In 

 the 4th year Tisso resigned his succession to the empire, and became 

 a priest. In the 6th Mahindo and Sanghamitta also entered into 

 the sacerdotal order. In the 17th the third convocation was held, 

 and missionaries were dispatched all over Asia to propagate Bud- 

 dhism. In the 18th Mahindo arrived in Ceylon, and effected the con- 

 version of the Ceylonese monarch De'wananpiyatisso and the inha- 

 bitants of this island, In the same year Sanghamitta, the bo-tree 

 and relics were sent by him to Ceylon. In the 30th his first con- 



* Introduction to the Mahdwanso, p. xlii. 



f The second paper on "Buddhistical Annals" notices the discrepancy of 

 about 60 years between this date, and that deduced from the date of European 

 classical authors connected with Alexander's invasion. 



