Message from dlong

[Anonymous]

Another issue of one of my new favorite kid's magazines, Calliope, was all about Ashoka, an emperor of the Mauryan Empire in India (January 2000 issue). Ashoka is another leader I had never heard about until researching resources to teach elementary-aged kids about Asia. Ashoka was a leader who began his rule with cruelty but later adopted Buddhist ideals and practiced non-violence. The flag of India has an Ashokan pillar design on it.

One article in the magazine talks about Ashoka's influence over other leaders throughout history. It discusses how Gandhi was influenced by Ashoka when he led in non-violent manners. Gandhi, in turn, influenced people like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. Following this chain of influence is something I would really like to teach my students and I think they would enjoy it. Every time I have taught a lesson on Martin Luther King Jr. I have had the complete attention of my class. This may be a great way to show how a leader from ancient India influenced other great leaders of our time.

Another great point raised in this article was about adding "the great" to the end of a military leader's name. Alexander the Great was discussed as an example of someone who was a military hero and has been deemed great in textbooks. The article asks why Ashoka and other non-violent leaders are not also given the title "the great". I think that would be an interesting point of discussion for my students.