||Bonding with so called 'Intellectuals' #CC 21 (IO) - Page 110

"This is a tale of a boy who is born under odd circumstances amidst the fire with the fate to become one of the greatest emperors of India in the history.

The story begins from an assassination attempt on Maurya King Bindusaar who escapes his death to find rescue in a jungle where a Brahmin girl named Shubhdrangi not only saves his life but wins his heart by her pure soul beautiful mind. Bindusaar names her Dharma. Meanwhile, Bindusaar's stepmother Helena announces his death and plots to make her son Justin the king and provokes the internal rivals to rise and make Magadh burn and weaken. Chankaya plays a pivotal role to find Bindusaar and bring him back to Patliputra before its too late. Helena's plan fails but succeeds to make Chanakya leave Magadh by accusing him to be the reason for Bindusaar's mother death. Chanakya leaves Patliputra with a promise that even if he is away, he will be watching over Magadh. Chanakya is aware of the fact that Magadh's future after Bidusaar lies in dark and unless a better king rises to power, Bindusaar's sons will ruin the Mauryavansh legacy and India will be plunged into chaos and destruction.

While Bindusaar gets busy to bring peace and law and order back in place in Magadha, an attempt to kill Dharma takes place by Bindusaar's one of the wives named Noor and her father Mir Khorasan. Pregnant Dharma escapes her death and delivers a boy amidst the attack, who she names Ashok- which means without pain'. Dharma thinks that its Bindusaar who wanted her and her son killed decides to live in jungle hiding her identity and son Ashok, who is her only reason to survive and live.

Being raised by mother Dharma in jungle in isolation, Ashok grows up as a boy who calls himself as Vanraj the king of jungle'. 14 years later, Chanakya finds Ashok and brings him to Paltiputra with his mother Dharma against her will. Unknown to the fact that why Chanakya has brought Ashok to Patliputra, Ashok is trained by Chanakya, while Dharma endures daily humiliation and abuse from the other queens and treated like a maid. Dharma realizes that Bindusaar still loves her and couldn't have possibly have send soldiers to kill her. She suffers in silence.

Amidst all the conspiracies, Chanakya dies but leaves Ashoka behind who is trained enough to find his way to the throne, which he truly deserves. Ashoka's quest for the truth about his father who left him and his mother to suffer makes him an aggressive and indispensible warrior. Later Ashok finds that his father is no one but the King Bindusaar who he serves. He vows he will not rest until his mother gets the position and respect she deserves.

His struggle begins and Ashoka finally gets his father to acknowledge his mother and give her the throne and stature she deserves. By this time, Ashoka has become an unconquerable warrior in the kingdom through numerous achievements and a threat to other sons of Bindusaar who want to be the king.
Ashoka thrives amidst all the attempts by his brothers and internal and external enemies to pull him down and he emerges as a great warrior and true successor of King Bindusaar.

After Bindusaar's death, Ashoka takes over the throne in order to protect his mother and motherland to preserve the empire and expand it. His biggest threat and challenge is the neighboring nation of Kalinga who wants to dethrone Ashoka and take over the empire for their own political gain. Ashok determines to defeat all his evil enemies and conquer the world once for all. In the midst of all violence and turmoil, Ashoka meets and falls in love with a beautiful young woman Kuruwaki who is a true follower of Buddhism and hates violence.

Ashoka conquers all his enemies in the 24 realms and earns the title Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. After the victory over his last enemy, Kalinga, Ashok lays down his sword and swears off violence forever to rule peacefully. He has rid the world of evil and created the greatest empire the world has ever seen. That is why he is known as Ashoka the Great!