Ashoka killed 18000 Ajivikas of Pundrahvardhana and eradicated the entire Ajivika faith. He also enforced vegetarianism and perscuted whoever did not follow that dictat. This destroyed livelihoods of many classes whose profession was tied to hunting, fisheries and animal byproducts. But he is considered 'The Great'. This is is what called propaganda. Here actions do not matter but affiliation is everything. This is the main peril of monotheistic religions.
Sharamanic faiths emerged in eastern gangetic plains as a reaction to Vedic Religion. Their main objection was Animal sacrifice in rituals and meat-eating, ban on moneylending and interests, restriction of the power of propertied classes and private property in general. It is the Shramanic religions that banned cowslaughter as Cow was an important animal in both agriculture and trade. Yet this crucial history is supressed to hide the true knowledge about how everything came into existence.
When Vedic religion died, their old followers also took on these Shramanic ethos.
Buddhism is one of the pioneer of state-sponsored theocracy, religious persecution and violence. It was from Kushans Buddhism started to become more evolved and humane.
Is it surprising that the narratives of monotheist reactionaries and indian state always converges or there is some deeper links?
Author: Purandhar Khilji
