________________
94 Śramana, Vol 57, No. 2/April-June 2006
stolen Sītā. He also used to provoke his relatives, subordinates, and servants to disturb saints and seers doing penance.
In the Dvaparayuga, Kansa was a monarch who with a view to save his own life ordered his military to kill all children of his country, who are born on the birthday of the Kṛṣṇa. They killed six issues of his sister Devaki who with her husband Vasudeva was kept in jail. He also tortured his father by keeping him in jail who tried to prevent his criminal activities.
Duryodhana of the same period, a great villain of the Mahabharata was a crude monarch who with the help of his fraudulent maternal uncle (Sakuni Māmā) tried his cousins to disown from their property. He also tried to kill them by putting them in the building made of wax (Lakṣāgṛha).
Aśoka, though not unsocial and unethical like other ancient cruel monarchs, massacred thousand of people for the victory of Kalinga.
In the Mughal period Aurangzeb was well known for his criminal activities. He confined his father Shahajahan in order to disown him from throne. He became king by force not by tradition, According to the traditional rule a prince becomes the king after the death of his father or the former king. Aurangajeba also killed numberless Hindus with a view to extend and strengthen Islam. He destroyed so many Hindu temples and erected mosques on their ruins. He killed even his brothers due to the motive of capturing the throne.
At the time of Muhammad Shah Jaffar, the last king of Mughal empire English-people came to India and captured India by killing several Hindus and Muslims. They ruled over India upto 14 August, 1947 by torturing Indian people very badly. Since 15 August, 1947, India is a independent country. No doubt, India has obtained its freedom due to the Gandhian policy of non-violence, but it cannot be forgotten that thousand of people have sacrificed
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
