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AN EARLY HISTORY OF ORISSA
Asoka, however, went far ahead of the maxims which the law-givers had enunciated concerning the treatment that was to be meted out to the wild tribes. With him, the primary need was not that of entertaining the wild tribes in State service, but of weaning them from their savage habits and of leading them along the path of virtue and progress.
Asoka had another definition of his Dhamma, specially meant for the ruder people, who must first be trained in the elementary virtues of life specified in RE XIII, namely, freedom from harm, restraint of passions, impartiality and cheerfulness. They must first get over the state of nature' in which they live, the state of war among themselves, and form themselves into a 'civil society' resting on selfrestraint, fellow feeling and the joy of a communal life. Thus, Asoka does not place before these ruder folks his usual definition of Dharma, involving the cultivation of proper domestic and social relations.
For Asoka, there was no distinction between his own and other people. But beyond the charter of impartiality, Asoka appears to have shown marked consideration to the border-land people. The Separate Kalinga Edicts tell what Asoka intended to convcy in regard to the wild tribes, who lived on the borders of his vast empire“Even upon the forest folk in his dominion, the Devānāṁpriya, looks kindly. They need not be afraid of him, but may have trust in him and receive from him only happiness and not misery. Devānāmpriya will forgive them what can be forgiven." While Asoka was anxious to secure the confidence of these wild people, he was
1. Cf. His statement in SKE I 'all men are my children', suggestive of John Wesleys the world is my parish' as quoted by Macphail in his Asoka', p. 44.
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