![]() ![]() He had fascinated generations of writers and scholars. Lahiri begins with the rationale for yet another book on Ashoka. ![]() Devoid of any agenda or political leaning, Lahiri’s works are honest tributes to historical scholarship, as compared to the political manifestos churned out by other reputed authors like Romila Thapar or Irfan Habib. Lahiri has made a commendable survey of Ashoka as the emperor of India in this book. Nayanjot Lahiri is an eminent historian who has many excellent books to her credit. ‘The afterlife of Ashoka, like his real life, is poised between legend and truth’. Ashoka made discourses with his people in the form of rock edicts scattered all over the country, like some kind of early ‘mann ki bath’. Indian rulers of all times aspired to reflect some aspect of his legacy in their own reign, as he was the founder of a ‘unique political model of humane governance’. Ashoka is chronologically the first among them. If we are asked to name three great Indian emperors of all time, few people would settle at any other combination than Ashoka, Chandragupta II and Akbar. ![]()
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