The Buddhist Empress of India

Many historians believe that although Devi was the first wife of Asoka, his Buddhist queen Asandhimitra was not the same person. However, some also theorise based on Buddhist and Jain stories that they were in fact the same person and the reason for that is they don't seem to appear in the timeline together. Devi disappears when Asandhimitra arrives at the scene rather abruptly to do her charitable work. Hence, I personally believe they were one and the same. This story however is a retelling of folklore and not history.

The whole village of Vidisha Nagari was buzzing with activity. Every home was being cleaned and cooking preparations were on. The youngest prince of Magadha was coming to a halt the night at their village on his way to Ujjain. Great unrest was reported at Ujjain and the youngest prince as the general of this region was being sent by the emperor to solve the issue.

The villagers were scared as the whole country knew of the Prince's arrogance and mood. The preparation for his night stay was made at the village head's hut. Food was cooked at all the wealthy houses. The Prince, a young lad of eighteen arrived on a horse with only two guards. He took his place inside the hut as the villagers flocked to meet him. 

In the hut adjacent to this, lived a wealthy Buddhist man and his family. The fourteen-year-old elder daughter of the man sat on the porch least interested that a prince had arrived in the next hut. As people flocked to him, her friends came to call her. 

" Asandhimitra, Sakhi? What are you doing here? Let's get in line. In turn, we can see the prince."

" Look I brought a garland for him, made it with my own hands." One girl boasted.

"He is too arrogant for this wildflower garland I heard." Another replied.

" Yes, I heard once he was so angry with a subject for not bowing to him, he beheaded him." One said in awe.

" Not his fault, he is the lesser prince you see, one who will never be king." the first one replied.

" Why are you people so eager to meet him then?"  Asandhimitra asked.

" Because he is a prince, how many have we seen Sakhi?"

They forcefully took her with them. As the line came closer to the teenager who sat in a throne-like posture her nervous Sakhi handed the garland to Asandhimitra and ran away. She found herself face to face with the Prince, garland in hand. While others would have stammered in this situation she was different.

Clear and loud she said, " My Sakhi had made this for you, Your Highness, and she was afraid to approach you, accept her gift. "

" You are not afraid?"

" Why will I be if am not a criminal or your enemy?"

" What is your name lady?"

" Vidisha Shakyakumari Asandhimitra."

" Where do you stay?"

" In the adjacent hut, my father is Buddhist, the food you eat tonight is prepared by my mother."

Silently, the Prince took the garland in hand and watched her go. In all these years, she was the first person who did not treat him in a way because she was scared or ignorant. She treated him like a normal human being. He felt good. Her voice played in his mind all night. Out of the hundreds he met today, her face seemed the only one he could remember. By morning, his mind was made.

" Shakya are you home?"

" Yes, who is it?"

" The Prince is here to see you."

As he entered the whole family came out to greet him. She was there too. Her parents washed his feet and gave him fruits and a comfortable seat.

" I am the youngest son of the Emperor of Magadha, General of Ujjaini Nagar, Rajkumar Ashoka. I would like to marry your daughter Asandhimitra. Wasn't that your name?" He pointed at the girl. The happy family readily agreed but she was no ordinary girl.

" No, Your Highness, I cannot marry you. My father agrees out of fear of you killing us. I do not fear the truth."

" What is your problem with me?" For the first time, a debate was not making him want to kill the person in front of him, he was enjoying her resistance. They looked straight at each other. Her eyes shone like fireballs. 

" We are Buddhist. We preach and believe in peace. You are a Kshatriya Hindu."

" I can try peace." Ashoka's tone was arrogant.

" Peace is not a thought, it's an ideal for us, please leave."

" Tell me, how can I prove to be worthy of you Lady?" Everyone was shocked to witness this conversation. The Prince was trying to be worthy of a commoner.

" Solve the rebellions of Ujjaini without bloodshed."

" So it shall be. I will come back when am done. Be ready to go to Pataliputra with me. If I fail I will not come back to you"

The Prince left on his horse with his guards. A week later a group of men were travelling from Ujjaini. They stopped at Vidisha Nagar. Asandhimitra's father came running home.

" The men from Ujjaini were saying that Rajputra Ashoka had stopped the rebellion there without a fight. He wisely dealt with the situation. Everyone was happy with him. But..." His face grew dark. " Rajkumar had left Ujjain two days ago, he should have been here by now."

" Maybe he changed his mind about Devi" Her mother showed clear displeasure at her daughter.

Asandhimitra was silent. She was angry. The Prince tricked her family. He played with their feelings just because she refused him. She shut her bedroom door and stayed in. The Next Morning she decided to visit the Buddhist monks nearby to find mental peace. Treating people who are old and sick always made her happy. 

At the caves, the Monks greeted her. " Devi, we have a very critical patient. We need a constant nurse for him. You want to take a look?"Behind the Monk, she went into one of the caves. A man lay unconscious there. Looking at his face she gasped.

" Rajkumar? Ashoka? What happened to him?"

" Some hired assassins attacked him. He was brutally hurt in a sword fight. We found him lying soaked in blood in the forest."

Devi felt his forehead. It was burning with fever. He was semi-conscious and moaning in pain. Devi picked up the medicine and poured it onto his lips. He drank it. For days she came to take care of him. She helped him walk and became his support. She told him stories of Buddha and his principles to soothe his pain. She thought he had forgotten her from Vidisha. She said her name was Devi. One day she overheard the Monks say he was fit to leave within a day or two. Tears filled his eyes.

" Devi." Her name in his voice shocked her.

" Yes?" She looked away.

" I did what you said. I solved a problem without a fight." He smiled.

" Rajkumar, you remember me?" She looked at him in awe.

" I fell in love Devi, I can't forget you. I know people say a lot of stuff about me..." his face turned dark. He turned his back to her.

" Rajkumar, can I ask you who did this to you?"

" My stepbrother the crown prince."

" But why?"

" Because the people of Magadha want me on the throne and not that incompetent fool."

" You could have died." Fear trembled in her voice.

" Devi, are you ready to face this difficult life with me back in Ujjain?" He looked at her and asked.

" Yes, Rajkumar." Ashoka held out his hand to her. She took it. The eighteen-year-old prince married the fourteen-year-old commoner.

Back in Pataliputra, the Emperor and his Empress were not happy with what the lesser Queen's son had done. Married a commoner, that to a Buddhist. They laughed. 

" Showed his true colours at last, that son of yours." Giggled the Empress. The Emperor ordered an astrologer to come to see the new member of the family as per rituals. The family astrologer predicted, " He who shall be born in her womb will conquer the land in the sea, Lanka." Alarmed at this prediction, the Empress' son Sushima became alarmed. Bindusara ordered Ashoka to leave with his wife for Ujjaini immediately and refrained Devi from entering the royal palace with a royal title. Ashoka's mother followed them. Sushima made several attempts to hurt and kill the pregnant lady time and again. Ashoka grew furious and vowed to kill him. Devi suggested complaining to Bindusara who took immediate action by warning Sushima, the crown prince. 

Queen Devi as imagined by Abanindranath Tagore

Soon, the firstborn Mahendra was born to them and two years later, their daughter Sanghamitra followed. Devi devoted all her time to bringing up her children away from the Royal Family and its violence. She taught them Buddhist principles and ideals of Ahimsa and Peace much against Ashoka's wishes. Soon Bindusara died, and Ashoka left them at Vidisha to join the war for the throne against his brothers. After a violent war in the family, he emerged victorious as the Emperor of India. He sent for her and his children and she joined him at his side as his Empress. But his expansion policies and violent wars drew them apart. Much against Ashoka's wish Sanghamitra and Mahendra joined the Buddhist monasteries as Monk and Nun. 

When the Kalinga war started, Devi went to Ashoka to make him understand to quit his expansion policies. Humiliated and rejected Devi never returned to Pataliputra, she went back to Vidisha to serve the Monasteries. After a destructive war and win, Ashoka married Padmavati, Princess of Kalinga along with the daughters of chieftains he had defeated. It was a norm those days to win princesses at wars. On returning to Pataliputra after the Kalinga war he found that Devi had left him. The king grew ill-tempered and in his anger, he tried to burn down Padmavati and his other wives alive for blaming him for the incident.

He sent gifts and messages to Vidisha to woo Devi back. She had already heard of his other marriages and learning of his infidelity, hurt and angry, she refused to go back to him. Ashoka grew apart from his children and other wives emotionally due to his strained relationship with Devi. It is at this time that memories of his first years of marriage haunted him and he took to Buddhism to find mental peace. In the next two years, the violent emperor changed into a devout Buddhist and became " A Father to His People".

Learning of his changed principles Devi returned to Pataliputra with Mahendra and Sanghamitra. Queen Padmavati, who died at this time left behind a toddler, Kunal, her only son. Devi took her stepson under her care and inspired him to take up Buddhist ideals as well. Ashoka built the Sanchi Stupa at her birthplace and gave her the full liberty to overlook the constructions. She spent her life between Ujjaini, Vidisha, Sanchi and Pataliputra working at several monasteries.

Through her repeated persuasion Ashoka let Mahendra and Sanghamitra go to the South East nations to teach the ideals of Buddhism. The Kuru clan travelled to Sri Lanka with them after converting to Buddhism. She died at 60, leaving Ashoka grief-stricken. National mourning was declared and the emperor performed charity referring to her as " The Chief Consort, Empress, and Beloved Wife, And A Strong Believer Of Sambuddha" on several pillars and seals. Ashoka's grief made him quit his throne and after a vacuum of power, his grandson Dasharatha took over.

Lion Pillar of Sanchi

The story of Ashoka and his first wife Maharani Devi, the only Buddhist Empress of India, not only reflects their personal life, their constant clashes and their love for each other but also reflects Devi's influence on two most important historical events of India, The Kalinga War and Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism. She was his inspiration for peace and their love did not break due to a clash of ideals or even separation. Although people of different ideals they showed immense respect to each other as a couple and Devi's character shone in the upbringing of Mahendra, Sanghamitra and Kunal under the ideals of peace away from their father's violence and destruction.

Book read: 

Asoka and The Decline of the Mauryan Empire by Romila Thapar

Mauryas by Devika Rangachari