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344 POLITICAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA (dānagriha) or aught else--is reckoned as proceeding from that queen.”
Mention may also be made of remission of taxes by the emperor himself, e.g, in Lumminigāma, and moneygrants (hirannapatividhāna) to old men. The people of janapadas (districts), doubtless including the grāmas 1 (villages), were also sought to be benefited by the grant of autonomy and the establishment of uniformity of punishment and procedure (dandasamatā and vyāvahārasamatā) as well as diffusion of moral instruction (dhramanusasti).
Religious Toleration and the Prevention of Schism
in the Buddhist Church. In Rock Edict XII the emperor declares that he "does reverence (Pūjā) to men of all sects (Pāsaņdāni) whether ascetics (Pavajitāni) or householders (Gharastāni) by gifts and various forms of reverence”. That he was sincere in his professions is proved by the Barābar cave dedications in favour of the Ājivika ascetics, who were more closely connected with the Jainas than with . the Buddhists.
The emperor only cared for the "growth of the essence (Sāra-Vadhi) of the matter in sects”. He says that "he who does reverence to his own sect wbile disparaging the sects of others wholly from attachment to his own, with intent to enhance the splendour of his own sect, in reality by such conduct inflicts the severest. injury on his own sect." Concord (or concourse, Samavāyo) is praised by him as meritorious (Samavāyo eva sādhu).
Just as Asoka tried to secure concord among the various sects, so he wanted to prevent schism within the
1 References to grāmas are found in the compounds Lummini-gāma and gāma-kapota (Pillar Edict V).
