Analysis of Apple Inc - Multinational Technology Company Essay - 4

Analysis of Apple Inc - Multinational Technology Company - Essay Example The business environment Apple Inc. is very dynamic and competitive. The company in recent years has embarked on various strategies to not only boost their sells but likewise transform their organizational culture (Lüsted, 99). Apple Inc. as a company is devoted to ensuring their social responsibility is of highest standards in all that they do. In this regard, the companies they deal with or do business with are expected to use manufacturing processes that are environmentally responsible at any time their products are designed or manufactured, provide safe working conditions and treat employees fairly. Apple Inc. believes that they are supposed to control and own the main technologies behind their products (Ireland, 45). The company believes in to participate in the markets where they can positively and significantly contribution. Likewise, the company strives to design and manufacture high-quality; easy to use products and low cost that integrates high technology for their consumers. Through analysis, Apple Inc. company mission statement and vision ensure all-inclusive cultural environments that enable the company remain competitive. There exist a unique depth, breadth and tenure midst the Apple Inc. executive team who lead over 36,000 employees. Apple Inc. vision and mission statements incorporate the essence of the company. It explains the goals of the company today and reflects its future production targets. Apple Inc. Mission and vision statement is unique and echoes its company’s culture. Through critical analysis, Apple Inc. vision and mission statement describe their values. In other words, it’s Apple’s DNA (Lüsted, 90). With regard to analysis on Apple Inc. using various key models and tools and company reports, the company’s current strategic plans and direction are geared towards enhancing business culture and profitability.  Apple Inc. strategic plan of market penetration focuses more on the already existing market. Apple Inc. is today among most valued technological firm and the strategy is in line with this success. In addition, the company already has a large market share and is ruling the technological business in various segments.  

Personal Statement for Master's degree Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Master's degree - Personal Statement Example Since then, I have been striving hard to make this passion turn into reality. As such, I have majored in law in my current Bachelors’ studies, which gives me a good foundation to pursue Master’s in Commercial Law. Additionally, I have attended law-themed seminars and workshops, which have given me invaluable experience regarding the application of law career in real world scenarios. Apart from educational achievements, I am a very active individual, and I participate in sports. I hold several trophies owing to my exceptional performance in swimming and basketball. Hence, as I enrol to study in your institution, I would like to continue participating in these sporting activities and develop my potential further. I also possess various personal qualities that have helped me achieve the success I have so far, and will these continue to enhance my successful study and performance in your institution. I am a dedicated individual with good interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, entrepreneurial skills, and leadership skills. In addition, I am a disciplined individual with the ability to work in collaboration with fellow students to achieve a set target or goal. These personal attributes are the core of my success, and will ensure that I survive in the challenging and demanding environment that characterize a graduate school, as well as the professional world. My career objective is to pursue a profession that will give me a thrilling experience, as I help people in need of my expertise while at the same time acquire additional knowledge with every case I handle. We live in a dynamic and quickly evolving world where new things emerge with every passing moment. Consequently, these emergences require new policies, laws, and tactics to handle. As such, I would want to be part of the team that spearhead approaches and solutions to new situations that arise in the field of commercial law. I trust Harvard University will

Webers Concept of Rationalization

Webers Concept of Rationalization Rationalization and Weber’s Possible Interpretations Rationalization is not a term that Max Weber defined in his book Modernity and Society. However, it is possible to speculate that the most plausible interpretation for what Weber meant by rationalization is, the replacement of traditional ways of doing things with new calculated ways. Two examples of these calculated ways of doing things can be seen in his writings on capitalism and bureaucracy; in which he highlights that capitalism has changed the economic structure of the West and bureaucracy, has changed the organizational structure in the West. One alternative interpretation that can also be taken from his book is that rationalization is the advancement of scientific reasoning through empirical evidence; which is a shift from previous emphasis on just spiritualism and mysticism. This paper will demonstrate that his interpretation does not hold much foundation in Weber’s writing and in fact, the most likely interpretation is the one regarding a shift to more calculated way s of doing. For Weber, calculation of human actions comes up immensely in his writing, and this ability to calculate and move from old traditional norms can be seen in the rise of capitalism and bureaucracy. Human beings systematic shift from bartering goods to a more sophisticated and logical way created a capitalistic society. Weber’s claim that capitalism is the essence of rationalization can be seen when he states â€Å"Also capitalist businessmen, not only as occasional entrepreneurs but as persons oriented permanently to business, have been ancient, enduring, and highly universal figures† (Weber, p. 57). He is referring to the old ways business was done which was not sufficient enough to survive in a more progressive Westernized world in which capitalism replaced it because it is a more rational way of viewing the economy. This is quite significant because he touches upon the theme of calculating the market and using that to one’s advantage to better understand the eco nomy. A supporter of the scientific interpretation might state that capitalism is not in fact a better way of organization because it causes many problems for individuals such as the inequalities that it produces. Thus might add, science through empirical evidence helps individuals unlike capitalism. While capitalism existed in places like China and in the Middle Ages it did not have the â€Å"spirit† as Weber describes it. This spirit that Weber speaks of is to have a duty to prosper through financial gains. When capitalism does prosper it is because individuals accept internal a certain way for doing things and realize that a capitalist society is right for them to achieve their goals and desires. He says â€Å"commercialisation would not have existed if capitalist-rational organization of work had not been there. One reason is rationalization is the enhancement of capitalism; it is the improvement of capitalist industrial firm.†(Weber, p.18). This illustrates his pr ofound confidence in capitalism as rationalization, which is a shift to more systematic calculated ways of thinking about and doing actions. Another example that can be used to support the calculated ways interpretation is Weber’s writings on bureaucracy. Bureaucracy’s ability to handle the tasks of an increasingly complex society with relative ease, has significantly changed the social life of individuals. Weber highlights the superiority of the bureaucratic system when he writes â€Å"the decisive reason for the advance of bureaucratic organization has always been its purely technical superiority over any other form of organization†(Weber, p.198). In a sense, Weber is praising bureaucracy with the formulation of a structural hierarchy chain of command that makes time more efficient and individuals know what goals must be accomplished as opposed to the old ways of doing things where the structure was not as defined. One might say that Weber does not support this because he states â€Å"Bureaucracy both in business offices and in public service, promotes the rise of a specific status group, just as d id the quite different officeholders of the past† (Weber, p.202). Weber is stating that bureaucracy is nothing different from the old ways of doing things because it creates a hierarchy where individuals are still at the bottom. At first glance this might present a reasonable challenge but after further analysis, its flaw is evident. This would not be a sufficient argument because Weber states â€Å"according to all constitutions he can be dismissed or resign at any time†( Weber , p.204), the â€Å"he† Weber is referring to is a high official in a bureaucratic system. He essential debunks the argument raised that bureaucracy creates a hierarchical society that individuals will always be able to retain their power. When in actuality unlike the traditional ways where power was secure and did not fluctuate, bureaucracies are deeply infringed in Western legal systems that inhibit people from keeping their power if that majority wants them out. The reality is that bec ause of the effortless movement of ideals and people, bureaucracy enables individuals to cooperate in an efficient manner, which is a result of rational behaviour. Weber accepting the bureaucracy has had a tremendous impact on his entire writing because from a sociological perspective, it allows individuals to work together more harmoniously because of the constant flow of activity as previously described. In a traditional society, human beings were focused on mysticism and spiritualism as a means of discovering everything in their surroundings and as a result they lacked comprehensive knowledge of their environment. An alternative interpretation to what rationalization might have meant to Weber is that it is the move from spiritual and mystical ways of seeing the world to a more scientific and empirical way of understanding our surroundings. A scientific interpretation might be seen as plausible because Weber’s admiration for science can be seen when he states â€Å"Every scientific â€Å"fulfillment† raises new â€Å"questions†; it asks to be â€Å"surpassed† and â€Å"out-datedâ€Å" (Weber, p.56). This is a very relevant reason for this interpretation because with scientific rise, one is able to ask more insightful questions than previously thought of. However, a disadvantage to an individual taking this interpretation is that although Weber supports scientific reasoning, he does not believe that it is only unique to Western society. â€Å"Empirical knowledge, reflection on the world and the problems of life, philosophical and theological wisdom of the deepest kind extraordinarily refined knowledge observation – all this existed outside the West† (Weber, p.53). This raises a huge flaw in rationalization with this interpretation because if rationalization is the move from better ways of thinking and more systematic calculable ways, then why would other individuals than the West develop it? A more unique perspective is to adopt the first interpretation where capitalism and bureaucracy are primarily found in the West. Weber, throughout the chapter entitled Scientific Vocation, makes reference to science not being able to answer the questions that govern a person’s regular life and it falls short in this area. Weber, a sociologist, would be primarily interested in the social aspects of rationalization something that science does not offer an answer to. The scientific interpretation would not be a suitable explanation for what Weber meant by rationalization. It is clear that Weber did not provide a direct definition for what rationalization meant. However, it is possible to conclude that because of his strong interest in capitalism and bureaucracy, he meant rationalization is the ability to calculate and systematically change the world. Although some might propose the alternative interpretation that Weber might have meant that rationalization is the transformation from mysticism thinking in the world of how religion used to be and towards more scientific knowledge. This interpretation would not be a substantive one to explain the other forms of rationalization that Weber describes throughout his book. References: Weber, M. (2005). Max Weber: Readings and Commentary on Modernity. S. Kalberg (Ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

How Magnets Affect Computer Disks :: essays research papers

How Magnets Affect Computer Disks BackGround One of the most commonly used Computer data storaged mediums is a Computer Disk or a Floppy. These are used in everyday life, in either our workplace or at home. These disks have many purposes, such as: Storing data: Floppies can be used to store software/data for short preiods of time, Transferring data: Floppies are used to transfer/copy data from one computer to another. Hiding data: Floppies are also sometimes used to hide sensitive or confidential data, because of the disk's small size it can be hidden very easily. Advertising: Because floppies are cheap to buy, they are used to advertise different types of software, such as: Software for the internet advertised on America Online Floppies. Floppies are also considered to be very sensitve data storage mediums. These Disks have numerous advantages and disadvanteges. Even though floppies are used so commonly they are also not very dependable. They have numerous conditions under which they should normally be kept. For example: the actuall magnetic disk inside the hard cover of the disk must NEVER be touched, the magnetic disk inside, must be protected by the metallic sliding shield, the disk must always be within the temperature of 50Â ° to 140Â ° Fahrenheit and the disk must never be bought near a magnet! (3M Diskettes) There are many such hazards to computer disks. Problems caused by magnets are very common. A floppy can be damaged unknowingly if it is kept near a magnet, that may be in the open or inside any device, such as a speaker phone in computer speakers or stereo or a telephone. And becuase of the common use of magnets in everyday life, more and more floppies are damaged everyday. Even though protective coverings against magnets and other electrical hazards, are available for floppies, they are not used very commonly. Therefore, floppies are not a very safe media for storage, even though they are convienient. Some of the most commonly used diskettes are by 3M and Sony and other such companies. The floppies are sold in boxes with instructions on them to not to bring floppies near magnets and other instructions of DOs and DONTs. These instructions must always be followed. Floppies have different capacities such as 720 KB (kilobytes) and 1.44 MB (megabytes). Floppies also have different sizes, 3.5" and 5.25". The most commonly used floppy is usually 3.5". It is not soft and cannot be bent, where as a 5.25" disk is soft and can be bent! A floppy is a round, flat piece of Mylar coated with ferric oxide, a rustlike substance containing tiny particles capable of holding a magnetic field, and

Resident Concerns Over Hazardous Waste Incinerator Environmental Sciences Essay

XYZ Company ( XYZ ) has proposed constructing a risky waste incineration works in the rural town of ABC, California. The dwellers of ABC are concerned about the possible wellness and environmental effects of holding XYZ in their community. The community members are concerned about noise, pollution, and environmental effects the new works will hold on their wellness. I am an Environmental Health Expert, and the local Health Officer has asked my sentiment on the proposed works as it pertains to zoning, province licenses, and nuisances to the community. Concerns Sing the Undertaking Zoning – is the procedure of land development within municipalities. It is a map of the metropolis authorities, and it dictates how available metropolis land is used. If the land is situated within the metropolis bounds so the land would hold to be zoned for commercial usage every bit good as risky wastes storage and devastation. If the proposed risky waste incinerator is on county or federal land there if nil the dwellers of the metropolis can make to halt the building based on districting Torahs ( Miniclier, 1991 ) , ( Smiley, 1989 ) . The metropolis would non hold legal power over county or federal land. Many times counties do non hold districting regulations that would forbid the edifice of an incineration works. Concerns – I would oppugn as to when the current districting Torahs became effectual, and are they adequate for the proposed undertaking. I would desire to guarantee that districting Torahs mitigated any jobs associated with extra commercial vehicles coming into the country. They would besides hold to turn to the storage and devastation of risky stuffs. This is a comparatively new scientific discipline, and the zoning Torahs that govern the current solid waste works are at least 20 old ages old. The districting Torahs that apply to the solid waste incinerator may non back up the development of a risky waste works. A reappraisal of the Torahs should be executed to find if the new works could lawfully be situated on the proposed site. Permits – There are a overplus of licenses that this undertaking would necessitate. First, and first, risky waste installations must run into the guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , in 40 C.F.R, Part 264, with supplemented EPA proficient and permit counsel ( Environment Technology Council ) . The province has many of its ain ordinances sing risky waste installations as good. There are building, technology, and land development permits that must be obtained before building can get down. Inspectors from both federal and province authoritiess oversee each measure of the building procedure. After building is completed so a proving stage will get down with a conditional license. The EPA ensures the consequences from each test burn are within acceptable parametric quantities. If all the needed criterions are met a lasting license will be issued. Although the concluding license is considered lasting, the license can be pulled if the works fails to keep safety criterions as established by the EPA. Concerns – A reappraisal of all licenses sing air quality, emanations, traffic suspension, environmental impact, etc, is to take topographic point. These paperss need to be shared with the community to educate them on the permitting procedure, and increase their cognition of how the edifice of the incinerator will come on through the regulative system. This will prosecute the community stakeholders in the building procedure. I would promote that the Health Officer reappraisal and go familiar with the article â€Å" Monitoring PCDD/Fs in Soil and Herbage Samples Collected Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator: Health Risks for the Population Living Nearby, † by Montse Mari et Al. This article chronicles the emanations of a risky waste incinerator in Spain over a six twelvemonth period, the consequences of which show â€Å" the HWI did non significantly increase PCDD/F degrees in dirts and pasturage of the environing environment. Furthermore, PCDD/F emanations from the HWI do non intend extra important hazards for the wellness of the persons populating in the locality of the installation. † ( Montse Mari, 2007 ) Waste installations that are suitably permitted and monitored show negligible impact to the community and countryside around them. These facts should relieve some of the frights of the community. Nuisance – Three countries likely to bring forth nuisance ailments will be in respects to odor, traffic and noise. As antecedently discussed, the issue of traffic suspension should hold been addressed in the zoning procedure. Safe hauling paths need to be identified that would besiege most of the common roadways used by the dwellers of ABC, thereby relieving traffic congestion issues. Odor will be a bigger job. Prior to the works being built the site will be analyzed for air current flow forms. The intent of the analysis will be to guarantee that residuary stuff left in the vapour fumes can pay out without negatively impacting the environing countryside, metropolis, or farming area ( Rogers & A ; Willis, 1992 ) . That trial does non take into history olfactory property. The bringing trucks and their lading will bring forth olfactory property. Wind does non blow in one way all the clip ; it flows and moves as influenced by rain, fog, or sunlight. The olfactory property from the works operations can non be contained and funneled in a individual way, therefore it is much more likely to be a nuisance to the community. Odor suspension is necessary to guarantee the success of the undertaking. Noise will be a concern for the life of this undertaking. Site development, building, and bringing of stuffs will all increase the noise pollution around the works. Addressing the noise pollution concerns prior to building will be indispensable ( Noise pollution, 1993 ) . Failure to program for noise concerns could endanger the effectivity of the site should regulations be enacted the restrict noise degrees to those below the sum that is emitted by the works in its normal operations. Concerns – Discussions with the community members and undertaking builders sing these nuisance issues has non taken topographic point. Opening duologue between these groups may help in relieving ailments in the hereafter.Risk Management PrinciplesThe Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management ‘s â€Å" Principles for Risk Management Decision Making † recommends the undermentioned six stairss be portion of any hazard determination procedure: â€Å" Good hazard direction determination: Addresses a clearly articulated job in its public wellness and ecological context. Elicits the positions of those affected by the determination. Is based on a careful consideration of scientific grounds that supports the decisions about the possible hazards to human wellness and the ecosystem. Is made after sing a scope of hazard direction options. Gives precedence to forestalling hazards, non merely commanding them. Are sensitive to political, societal, legal, and cultural considerations. † ( TUI University, 2010 ) It does non look from this scenario that the Health Officer, builders, or metropolis contrivers engaged any of these rules. They are holding community recoil jobs because these stairss were ignored from the beginning of the undertaking. In fact, the Health Officer, himself, is holding concerns which could hold been alleviated had this procedure been employed. Having a risky waste installation in 1s ‘ vicinity is traveling to politicise the community. If the community had concerns sing the safety of the current garbage dump, how much more will they have with a risky waste installation coming into the country? The Health Officer, every bit good as the builders, would be wise to take a page from history and non except the abodes from treatments about this proposed works. Kings County, in Central California, failed to prosecute the Hispanic population when they were suggesting a risky waste enlargement to the solid waste shit installation, and it earned them a Civil Rights case, which the county lost ( Kay, 1992 ) .DecisionThe Health Officer should step in in the permitting procedure and temporarily halt this undertaking traveling frontward. A hazard appraisal of the undertaking needs to be completed following the â€Å" Principles for Risk Management Decision Making † ( TUI University, 2010 ) . Scientific grounds profiling how d ecently permitted and regulated workss can hold negligible effects on the environment needs to be shared with the community. A thorough reappraisal of all districting Torahs and proposed traffic paths need to be studied to guarantee that the extra traffic will non impact the occupants of the community. Measures to relieve the olfactory properties from the new works demand to be exhaustively researched and shared with the stakeholders. The Health Officer and developers must link with the community stakeholders if they want this to be a successful undertaking.

Ashoka the Great

Ashoka From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia â€Å"Asoka† redirects here. For other uses, see  Ashoka (disambiguation). |Ashoka the Great | |Mauryan  Samrat | |[pic] | |A Chakravatin (possibly Ashoka) first century BC/CE.Andhra Pradesh, | |Amaravati. Preserved at Musee Guimet | |Reign |273-232 BC | |Coronation |270 BC | |Full name |Ashoka Bindusara Maurya | |Titles |Samrat.Other titles include Devanampriya Priyadarsi, | | |Dhammarakhit, Dharmarajika, Dhammarajika, Dhammaradnya, | | |Chakravartin, Samrat, Radnyashreshtha, Magadhrajshretha, | | |Magadharajan, Bhupatin, Mauryaraja, Aryashok, Dharmashok, | | |Dhammashok, Asokvadhhan , Ashokavardhan, | | |Prajapita,Dhammanayak, Dharmanayak | |Born |304 BC | |Birthplace |Pataliputra,  Patna | |Died |232 BC (aged 72) | |Place of death |Pataliputra,  Patna | |Buried |Ashes immersed in theGanges  River, possibly | | |atVaranasi,  Cremated  232 BC, less than 24 hours after death | |Predecessor |Bindusara | |Successor |Dasa ratha Maurya | |Consort |Maharani Devi | |Wives |Rani  Tishyaraksha | | |Rani  Padmavati | | |Rani  Kaurwaki | |Offspring |Mahendra,Sanghamitra,Teevala, Kunala | |Royal House |Mauryan dynasty | |Father |Bindusara | |Mother |Rani Dharma or Shubhadrangi | |Religious |Buddhism,Humanism | |beliefs | | Ashoka  (Devanagari: ,  IAST:  Asoka,  IPA:  [a o? k? , 304–232 BC), popularly known as  Ashoka the Great, was an  Indian  emperor  of the  Maurya Dynasty  who ruled almost all of the  Indian subcontinent  from 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from present-dayPakistan,  Afghanistan  in the west, to the present-day  Bangladesh  and the Indian state of  Assam  in the east, and as far south as northern  Kerala  andAndhra. He conquered the kingdom named  Kalinga, which no one in his dynasty had conquered starting f rom  Chandragupta Maurya. His reign was headquartered in  Magadha  (present-day  Bihar, India). 1]He embraced  Buddhism  from the prevalentVedic  tradition after witnessing the mass deaths of the  war of Kalinga, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across  Asia  and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of  Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a devotee of  ahimsa  (nonviolence),  love,  truth,tolerance  and  vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history as a  philanthropicadministrator. In the  history of India  Ashoka is referred to as  Samraat  Chakravartin  Ashoka- the Emperor of Emperors  Ashoka. His name â€Å"asoka† means â€Å"without sorrow† inSanskrit  (a= no/without, soka= sorrow or worry).In his  edicts, he is referred to as Devanampriya (Devanagari: )/Devana? iya  or â€Å"The Beloved Of The Gods†, an d Priyadarsin (Devanagari: )/Piyadassi  or â€Å"He who regards everyone with affection†. Another title of his is Dhamma (prakrit: ), â€Å"Lawful, Religious, Righteous†. Renowned  British  author and  social critic  H. G. Wells  in his bestselling two-volume work,  The Outline of History  (1920), wrote of emperor Ashoka: In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves ‘their highnesses,' ‘their majesties,' and ‘their exalted majesties' and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star, even unto this day.Along with the  Edicts of Ashoka, his legend is related in the later second century  Asokavadana(â€Å"Narrative of Asoka†) and  Divyavadana  (â€Å"Divine narrative†), and in the  Sri Lankan  text  Mahavamsa(â€Å"Great Chronicle†). After two thousand years, the influence of Ashoka is seen in  Asia  and especially the  Indian subcontinent. An emblem excavated from his empire is today the national  Emblem of India. In the  History of Buddhism  Ashoka is considered just afterGautama Buddha. |Contents | |  [show] | Biography Early life |[pic] |This article  needs additional  citations  for  verification. | | |Please help  improve this article  by adding  reliable references.Unsourced | | |material may be  challenged  and  removed. (January 2009) | Ashoka was born to the  Mauryan  emperor  Bindusara  and his Queen ‘Dharma' (although she was a  Brahmin  or Shubhadrangi, she was undervalued as she wasn't of royal blood). Ashoka had several elder siblings (all half-brothers from other wives of Bindusara). He had just one younger sibling, Vitthashoka (a much loved brother from the same mother). Because of his exemplary intellect and warrior skills, he was said to have been the favorite of his grandfather  Chandragupta Maurya. As the legend goes, when Chandragupta Maurya left his empire for a  Jain  living, he threw his  sword  away. Ashoka ound the sword and kept it, in spite of his grandfather's warning. Ashoka, in his adolescence, was rude and naughty.He was a fearsome hunter. He was akshatriya  and was given all royal military trainings and other  Vedic  knowledge. According to a legend, he killed a Lion with just a wooden rod. Ashoka was very well known for his sword fighting. He was very adventurous and this made him a terrific fighter. Ashoka was a frightening warrior and a heartless general. Because of this quality he was sent to destroy the riot of  Avanti. Rise to power [pic] [pic] Maurya Empire  at the age of Ashoka. The empire stretched from  Iran  to  Bangladesh/Assam  and from  Central Asia  (Afganistan) to  Tamil Nadu/South India.Developing into an impeccable warrior general and a shrewd statesman, Ashoka went on to command several regim ents of the Mauryan army. His growing popularity across the empire made his elder brothers wary of his chances of being favored by  Bindusarato become the next emperor. The eldest of them,  Susima, the traditional heir to the throne, persuaded Bindusara to send Ashoka to quell an uprising inTaxshila, a city in the north-west District of Pakistani Punjab region, for which Prince Susima was the Governor. Taxshila was a highly volatile place because of the war-like Indo-Greek population and mismanagement by Susima himself. This had led to the formation of different militias causing unrest. Ashoka complied and left for the troubled area.As news of Ashoka's visit with his army trickled in, he was welcomed by the revolting militias and the uprising ended without a conflict. (The province revolted once more during the rule of Ashoka, but this time the uprising was crushed with an iron fist) Ashoka's success made his stepbrothers more wary of his intentions of becoming the emperor and m ore incitements from Susima led Bindusara to send Ashoka into exile. He went intoKalinga  and stayed there incognito. There he met a fisher woman named  Kaurwaki, with whom he fell in love. Recently found inscriptions indicate that she would later become either his second or third queen. Meanwhile, there was again a violent uprising in  Ujjain.Emperor Bindusara summoned Ashoka out of exile after two years. Ashoka went into Ujjain and in the ensuing battle was injured, but his generals quelled the uprising. Ashoka was treated in hiding so that loyalists of the Susima group could not harm him. He was treated by  Buddhist  monks and nuns. This is where he first learned the teachings of the  Buddha, and it is also where he met Devi, who was his personal nurse and the daughter of a merchant from adjacent Vidisha. After recovering, he married her. It was quite unacceptable to Bindusara that one of his sons should marry a Buddhist, so he did not allow Ashoka to stay in  Patal iputra  but instead sent him back to Ujjain and made him the governor of Ujjain.The following year passed quite peacefully for him, and Devi was about to deliver his first child. In the meanwhile, Emperor Bindusara died. As the news of the unborn heir to the throne spread, Prince Susima planned the execution of the unborn child; however, the assassin who came to kill Devi and her child killed his mother instead. Ashoka beheads his elder brother to ascend the throne. In this phase of his life, Ashoka was known for his unquenched thirst for wars and campaigns launched to conquer the lands of other rulers and became known as Chandashok (terrible Ashoka), the Sanskrit word  chanda  meaning cruel, fierce, or rude,  Chandi-devi being associated with  Kali.Ascending the throne, Ashoka expanded his empire over the next eight years, from the present-day boundaries and regions of  Burma–Bangladesh  and the state of  Assam  in India in the east to the territory of pres ent-day  Iran  /  Persia  and  Afghanistan  in the west; from the  Pamir  Knots in the north almost to the peninsular of  southern India  (i. e. Tamilnadu  /  Andhra pradesh). Conquest of Kalinga Main article:  Kalinga War While the early part of Ashoka's reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty, he became a follower of the  Buddha's teaching after his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India in the present-day state of  Orissa. Kalinga was a state that prided itself on its sovereignty and democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary democracy it was quite an exception in ancient Bharata where there existed the concept of  Rajdharma. Rajdharma means the duty of the rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with the concept of bravery and  Kshatriya  dharma.The pretext for the start of the  Kalinga War  (265 BC or 263 BC) is uncertain. One of Susima's brothers might have fled to Kalinga and found official refuge there. This enraged Ashoka immensely. He was advised by his ministers to attack Kalinga for this act of treachery. Ashoka then asked Kalinga's royalty to submit before his supremacy. When they defied this diktat, Ashoka sent one of his generals to Kalinga to make them submit. The general and his forces were, however, completely routed through the skilled tact of Kalinga's commander-in-chief. Ashoka, baffled at this defeat, attacked with the greatest invasion ever recorded in Indian history until then.Kalinga put up a stiff resistance, but they were no match for Ashoka's brutal strength. The whole of Kalinga was plundered and destroyed. Ashoka's later edicts state that about 100,000 people were killed on the Kalinga side and 10,000 from Ashoka's army. Thousands of men and women were deported. Buddhist conversion |[pic] |This article  needs additional  citations  for  verification. | | |Please help  improve this article  by adding  reliable references. Unsourced | | |material may be  challengedà ‚  and  removed. (March 2009) | [pic] [pic] A similar four â€Å"Indian lion† Lion Capital of Ashoka atop an ntact  Ashoka Pillar  at Wat U Mong near Chiang Mai,  Thailandshowing another larger  Dharma Chakra  /Ashoka Chakra  atop the four lions thought to be missing in the Lion Capital of Ashoka at  Sarnath Museum  which has been adopted as the  National Emblem of India. As the legend goes, one day after the war was over, Ashoka ventured out to roam the city and all he could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he cried the famous monologue: What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Do I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor?One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infa nt†¦. What's this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil? The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism and he used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to new heights, as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. He made Buddhism his state religion around 260 BC, and propagated it and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly has to be credited with the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy. [pic] [pic] Ashokan Pillar at  VaishaliProminent in this cause were his son VenerableMahindra  and daughter  Sanghamitra  (whose name means â€Å"friend of the Sangha†), who established Buddhism in Ceylon (now  Sri Lanka). He built thousands of Stupas and Viharas for Buddhist followers. The Stupas of Sanchi are world famous and the stupa named  Sanchi Stupa  was built by Emperor Ashoka. During the remaining portion of Ashoka's reign, he pursued an official policy of  nonviolence  (ahimsa). Even the unnecessary slaughter or mutilation of people was immediately abolished. Everyone became protected by the king's  law  against sport hunting and branding. Limited hunting was permitted for consumption reasons but Ashoka also promoted the concept of vegetarianism.Ashoka also showed mercy to those imprisoned, allowing them leave for the outside a day of the year. He attempted to raise the professional ambition of the common man by building universities for study, and water transit and irrigation systems for trade and agriculture. He treated his subjects as equals regardless of their religion, politics and caste. The kingdoms surrounding his, so easily overthrown, were instead made to be well-respected allies. He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and renovating major roads throughout India. After this transformation, Ashoka came to be known as Dhammashoka (Sanskrit), meaning Ashoka, the follower of Dharma.Ashoka defined the main principles of dharma (dhamma) as nonviolence, tolerance of all sects and opinions, obedience to parents, respect for the Brahmans and other religious teachers and priests, liberality towards friends, humane treatment of servants, and generosity towards all. These principles suggest a general ethic of behaviour to which no religious or social group could object. Some critics say that Ashoka was afraid of more wars, but among his neighbors, including theSeleucid Empire  and the Greco-Bactrian kingdom established by  Diodotus I, none could match his strength. He was a contemporary of both  Antiochus I Soter  and his successor  Antiochus II Theos  of the Seleucid dynasty as well as  Diodotus I  and his son  Diodotus II  of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom.If his inscriptions and edicts are well studied one finds that he was familiar with the Hellenic world but never in awe of it. His edicts, which talk of frien dly relations, give the names of both Antiochus of the Seleucid empire and  Ptolemy III  of  Egypt. The fame of theMauryan  empire was widespread from the time that Ashoka's grandfather  Chandragupta Mauryadefeated  Seleucus Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid Dynasty. [pic] [pic] Stupa of  Sanchi. The source of much of our knowledge of Ashoka is the many inscriptions he had carved on pillars and rocks throughout the empire. Emperor Ashoka is known as Piyadasi (in  Pali) or Priyadarshi (in  Sanskrit) meaning â€Å"good looking† or â€Å"favored by the gods with good blessing†.All his inscriptions have the imperial touch and show compassionate loving. He addressed his people as his â€Å"children†. These inscriptions promoted Buddhist morality and encouraged nonviolence and adherence to Dharma (duty or proper behavior), and they talk of his fame and conquered lands as well as the neighboring kingdoms holding up his might. One also gets some pri mary information about the Kalinga War and Ashoka's allies plus some useful knowledge on the civil administration. The Ashoka Pillar at  Sarnath  is the most popular of the relics left by Ashoka. Made of sandstone, this pillar records the visit of the emperor to Sarnath, in the third century BC.It has a four-lion capital (four lions standing back to back) which was adopted as the emblem of the modern Indian republic. The lion symbolizes both Ashoka's imperial rule and the kingship of the  Buddha. In translating these monuments, historians learn the bulk of what is assumed to have been true fact of the Mauryan Empire. It is difficult to determine whether or not some actual events ever happened, but the stone etchings clearly depict how Ashoka wanted to be thought of and remembered. Ashoka's own words as known from his  Edicts  are: â€Å"All men are my children. I am like a father to them. As every father desires the good and the happiness of his children, I wish that all men should be happy always. Edward D'Cruz interprets the Ashokan dharma as a â€Å"religion to be used as a symbol of a new imperial unity and a cementing force to weld the diverse and heterogeneous elements of the empire†. Also, in the Edicts, Ashoka mentions Hellenistic kings of the period as converts to Buddhism, although no Hellenic historical record of this event remain: The conquest by  Dharma  has been won here, on the borders, and even six hundred  yojanas  (5,400–9,600 km) away, where the Greek king  Antiochos  rules, beyond there where the four kings named  Ptolemy,  Antigonos,  Magas  andAlexander  rule, likewise in the south among the  Cholas, the  Pandyas, and as far as  Tamraparni  (Sri Lanka). —Edicts of Ashoka,  Rock Edict  13 (S. Dhammika)Ashoka also claims that he encouraged the development of  herbal medicine, for human and nonhuman animals, in their territories: Everywhere within Beloved-of-the-Gods, King P iyadasi's [Ashoka's] domain, and among the people beyond the borders, the  Cholas, the  Pandyas, the Satiyaputras, the Keralaputras, as far as  Tamraparni  and where the Greek king  Antiochos  rules, and among the kings who are neighbors of Antiochos, everywhere has Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, made provision for two types of medical treatment: medical treatment for humans and medical treatment for animals. Wherever medical herbs suitable for humans or animals are not available, I have had them imported and grown.Wherever medical roots or fruits are not available I have had them imported and grown. Along roads I have had wells dug and trees planted for the benefit of humans and animals. —Edicts of Ashoka,  Rock Edict  2 The Greeks in India even seem to have played an active role in the propagation of Buddhism, as some of the emissaries of Ashoka, such as  Dharmaraksita, are described in  Pali  sources as leading Greek (Yona) Buddhist monks, active in spreading Buddhism (the  Mahavamsa, XII[2]). Death and legacy Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years. After his death, the Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more years. Ashoka had many wives and children, but many of their names are lost to time.Mahindra  and  Sanghamitra  were twins born by his first wife, Devi, in the city of  Ujjain. He had entrusted to them the job of making his state religion, Buddhism, more popular across the known and the unknown world. Mahindra  and  Sanghamitra  went into  Sri Lanka  and converted the King, the Queen and their people to Buddhism. They were naturally not handling state affairs after him. In his old age, he seems to have come under the spell of his youngest wife  Tishyaraksha. It is said that she had got his son  Kunala, the regent in  Takshashila, blinded by a wily  stratagem. The official executioners spared Kunala and he became a wandering singer accompanied by his favourite wife  Kanchanmala.In  Pata liputra, Ashoka hears Kunala's song, and realizes that Kunala's misfortune may have been a punishment for some past sin of the emperor himself and condemns Tishyaraksha to death, restoring Kunala to the court. Kunala was succeeded by his son,  Samprati, but his rule did not last long after Ashoka's death. The reign of Ashoka Maurya could easily have disappeared into history as the ages passed by, and would have had he not left behind a record of his trials. The testimony of this wise king was discovered in the form of magnificently sculpted pillars and boulders with a variety of actions and teachings he wished to be published etched into the stone.What Ashoka left behind was the first written language in India since the ancient city of  Harappa. The language used for inscription was the then current spoken form called  Prakrit. In the year 185 BC, about fifty years after Ashoka's death, the last Maurya ruler,  Brhadrata, was assassinated by the commander-in-chief of the Maur yan armed forces,  Pusyamitra Sunga, while he was taking the Guard of Honor of his forces. Pusyamitra Sunga founded the  Sunga dynasty(185 BC-78 BC) and ruled just a fragmented part of the Mauryan Empire. Many of the northwestern territories of the Mauryan Empire (modern-day Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) became the  Indo-Greek Kingdom.When India gained independence from the  British Empire  it adopted Ashoka's emblem for its own, placing the  Dharmachakra  (The Wheel of Righteous Duty) that crowned his many columns on the  flag  of the newly independent state. In 1992, Ashoka was ranked #53 on  Michael H. Hart's  list of the most influential figures in history. In 2001, a semi-fictionalized portrayal of Ashoka's life was produced as a motion picture under the title  Asoka. King Ashoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty, has come to be regarded as one of the most exemplary rulers in world history. The British historian H. G. Wells has written: â€Å"Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history †¦ the name of Asoka shines, and shines almost alone, a star. â€Å"