ComparisonEssay

MansaMusaIofMaliandAshokatheGreat:twomen,rulingatdifferenttimesand
differentplaceswithdistinctlyseparatestyles.Atfirstglance,nocommongroundseemstoexist
betweenthesemensure,theywereleaders,butthesimilaritiesseemtoendthere.However,
thesefigureshavemoreincommonthanfirstmeetstheeye.Bothwereleaderswhospreadtheir
religionthroughouttheirkingdomandintotherestoftheworldbothexpandedandfortified
theirkingdoms,bringingprosperity,peace,andstability.However,amongtheseleaders,one
standsout:AshokatheGreat,themanwhounifiedtheentiresubcontinentofIndiaandwhois
mostdeservingofbeinghonoredintheplannedmonument.

Thefirstdefiningcharacteristicofaleaderisonemeasuredthroughtheprosperityofthe
kingdomtheyrule:howsuccessfulthemilitaryis,howstablethegoverningstructureis,andhow
prosperousthelivesofthecitizensare.BothMansaMusaandAshokawereexcellentrulersin
theirownrightwhileMansaMusasactionsbroughttradeprosperitytotheregion,Ashokas
actionsunifiedIndiaandbroughtaboutthegoldenpointoftheMauryanEmpire.Ultimately,the
successofthecivilizationoftheseleadersisthemostimportantfacetindeterminingwhoismost
deservingmodernhonor.
MansaMusa,theEmperorofMali,(12801337CE)doesnthaveanythingshortofan
astoundinglistofaccomplishments.Firstandforemost,themostsignificantcontributionhe
madeliesinthecityofTimbuktu,oncetheintellectualcenteroftheworldandtheportof
transSaharantrade.MansaMusawasattherootoftheexpansionofTimbuktuinhisjourney,
heusedhisvastamountsofgoldtopersuadeIslamicscholarstoleaveCairoandcometo
Timbuktu(Oliver,John68).Indoingso,MansaMusacreatedacitythatrivalledEuropeancities
likeParis,Milan,andVenice.Overthenextyears,Timbuktugrewandattractedmoreandmore
merchants(MansaMusa,Emperor).WhenIbnBattutafirsttravelledtoAfricain1352,he
consideredWalanta,anothertradingcity,tobemoreimportantandgrandthatTimbuktu
however,throughMansaMusasfundingandvision,by1375,theMajorcancartographer
AbrahamCresquereportedthatTimbuktuhadsurpassedWalantaasthetradecenterofthe
SaharanDesert(MansaMusa).Needlesstosay,theincreasedtradebroughtgreatprosperityto
thekingdomofMali.Secondly,MansaMusabroughtnewelementsintoMalisarchitecture,
whichlaterproducedthegrandlibraries,palaces,andmosquesthatbroughtinternationalfameto
Mali(Fritze,Ronald).Thirdly,theempireofMaliexperiencedgreatgrowthunderMansaMusa,
whostretchedthebordersfurtherthantheyhadeverbeenextendedandurbanizedthecity
throughbuildingmosquesandschools.Finally,MansaMusaspilgrimagetoMakkahopenedthe
restoftheworldseyestothetremendouswealthheldinMalithroughMansaMusasstunning
displayofpowerandgenerositytotheneedywhilealsobringingattentiontoIslamandfurther

spreadingthereligion.ThisjourneywasthefinalfactorthatledtoMaligainingevenmore
powerandeconomicprosperityandreachingitsapex(MansaMusa).
AshokatheGreat(304232BCE),however,alsoholdsavastlistofaccomplishments.In
theearlystagesofhiscampaign,heseemedtobe,Everybitasambitiousashisfatherand
grandfather,inconqueringland.Throughhisambition,theMauryanEmpireexpandedborders
furtherthanitwasunderanyruler:coveringmoderndayIndia,Pakistan,andalittlebitofthe
MiddleEastandunitingtheentireIndiansubcontinentunderoneruler.Thisunification,aside
frombringingstabilitytotheinternalconflictinIndia,alsogaveIndiaonelanguage,onescript,
andonedharma,strengtheningthegovernmentandimprovingthepoliticsofthenation.
(Asoka)ThefruitsofthesepoliciesincludedincreasedintellectualactivityanddebateinIndia
throughthecommunicationofscholars(whichwaspreviouslyimpossible),andlessinternal
conflict(Ghosh).However,themostsignificantfacetsofAshokasreignbegantodeveloponly
aftertheinvasionofKalingainca.262BCE.Thebattlewasplayedonafieldofblood,with
someaccountssayingthatover100,000peopledied.Horrifiedbythebloodshed,Ashoka
rejectedtheprinciplesofconquestandinsteadturnedtoBuddhism,convertingandbecominga
missionaryofthereligion.WhereAshokahadpreviouslysoughttorulewithstrength,heruled
throughthespiritofdharma,ormercy,justice,compassion,andpeace.Despitethefactthat
thesemoralswereinstarkcontrastwiththenormaldutiesofaruler,Ashokademonstratedhis
newprogramthroughtryingtobemoreofapresenceinthelivesofhissubjectsandencouraging
themtobringtheirproblemstohimforfairjudgement(Asoka).Intheformofhisedicts,
inscribedonrockpillarsscatteredthroughthekingdom,hegavehissubjectsadviceandspread
themoralsofdharma,encouragingthemtobemorallygood.InaccordancewithBuddhism,
Ashokaalsoappointedaseriesofdharmamahamatras(dharmacommissioners),whoseduty
wastomakesurethatthecitizensledprosperouslivesandhadtheirbasicneedsattendedto.
Thesepeoplehelpedthepoor,women,andevenforeignreligiousgroups,whomtowhich
Ashokashowedagreatdealoftolerance.Infact,asBuddhismtaughtthatallofnaturewas
sacred,Ashokapreachedethicaltreatmentofeveryone,fromanimalstothosewhofollowed
differentreligions(Ashoka).Throughhiscampaign,Ashokagreatlyimprovedthelivesofhis
subjects.However,AshokasgreatestachievementliesinthefieldofBuddhism.Hisoriginal
conversionhelpedspreadthereligionthroughoutIndiainhisprovincelater,hesentout
missionaries,severalofwhichwerehisownsons,tospreadthereligionasfarasPalestine.He
alsofundedseveralBuddhisttemples,hostelsforpilgrims,andburialsiteshonoringBuddhist
monks.ThroughsupportingBuddhism,Ashokagreatlyimprovedthegovernment,thequalityof
lifeofhiscitizens,andprovidedthepropulsionthatspreadBuddhismthroughouttheancient
world.

Whiletheshorttermsuccessofacivilizationdetermineshowleaderswillbe
remembered,thesuccessofcivilizationsthousandsofyearsinthepastholdslittlesignificancein
themodernworldnow,astheirremnantsslowlycrumbletodust,theirlegacycanonlybe

measuredbytheirlongtermmagnitude.EventhoughtherelicsoftheMauryanEmpireslowly
crumble,andthelegacyoftheEmpireofMaliislost,AshokaandMansaMusastillhold
significancethroughouthistoryandinthemodernworld.Themodernrelevanceoftheseleaders
isthesecondmajorcriterionfordecidingwhichleaderisdeservingoftherecognitionandhonor
ofbeingintheplannedmonument.
ThemostsignificantlongtermimpactofMansaMusacomesfromthenumerousArabic
scholarsandarchitectshebroughtintoMaliafterhispilgrimage,wholatercreatedsomeofthe
mostnotableworksofartoftheregionaswellasadistinctarchitecturalstylethatinfluenced
modernarchitectureintheregion.ThemostnotablearchitectwastheMuslimarchitectalSahili,
whomadethegreatmosquesatGaoandTimbuktu:structuresthatstillstandtodayasmarkersof
IslaminAfrica(Oliver,John88).Moreimportantly,MansaMusaestablishedthecitythatserved
asthecenterofknowledgeforIslam:Timbuktu.WhenAbdalRehman,anArabicScholar
accompanyingMansaMusaashereturnedfromhispilgrimage,reachedTimbuktu,henotedthat
thescholarsinthecitywereevenmoreknowledgeableinIslamthanhewas.Afterthatperiod,
thegoldMansaMusainvestedinTimbuktuledtoitbecomingthecenterofIslamicknowledge,
whereallmattersofscienceandreligionwerepursued.ThroughthewealthTimbuktugained
throughtrade,alongwiththefactthatitwastheIslamiccenterofknowledge,Timbuktucanbe
describedas,theWallStreetofAfrica.(MansaMusa,Emperor)Evenafterhisdeath,the
creationofTimbuktuledtosomeofthegreatestIslamicscholarlyachievements,suchasthe
copiouscopyingofthousandsofbooks,andthespreadofIslaminAfrica.
AshokatheGreatisoftenaccusedofbringingthedownfalloftheMauryanEmpire
throughhispassiveregimen.However,thescopeofAshokasachievementsextendsfarbeyond
thenarrowscopeofancienthistoryandintothemodernworld.Firstly,Ashokasruleunited
Indiaandenabledthecommunicationofscholarsthroughoutthelandthroughthesinglescript
calledBrahmi,evenaftertheempirefellapart.Secondly,theprinciples(edicts)ofAshokaarean
ancientrepresentationofmodernideology,especiallythoseedictsregardingthevalueoflifeand
thatpeopleshouldlivetheirlivesvirtuously(Ghosh,Baivab).Alltheseachievements,however,
canbeconnectedtooneroot:AshokasconversiontoBuddhism.BeforeAshoka,Buddhismwas
arelativelysmallreligioussectinIndia.However,afterAshokaadoptedBuddhismashis
religion,Buddhismbegantorapidlyspread.Ashokaevenwentasfarastosendemissaries,many
ofwhichwerehischildren,tospreadBuddhismthroughouttheempire.Thisprovidedthefirst
sparkBuddhismneededtogrow.BytheendofAshokasreign,Buddhismhadbeendispersed
throughtheempire,andcontinuedtorapidlyexpandevenafterhisdeath.Centurieslater,Ashoka
isimmortalizedastheonewhospreadBuddhisminlegendsthatdescribeacruelandunjustking
thattookupBuddhismandbecameenlightened:akind,considerateKingwhobroughtpeaceand
prosperitytohisKingdom(Ashoka).Inthissense,AshokaistoBuddhismjustasConstantine
istoChristianity:theonewhotransformedasmallcultintoaworldreligion.

MansaMusaIofMaliandAshokatheGreat:twoofhistorysgreatestleaders,ruling
empiresacrosstheglobe,placedamillenniumapartonthetimeline.Despitethesedifferences,
theserulersholdsimilarities.Bothunifiedtheirland.Bothareresponsibleforthespreadofsome
ofthelargestreligionsintheworld.Bothbroughtprosperityandsuccesstotheirkingdoms.Of
thesetwoleaders,however,theunifierofIndiastandsout.FromthedaysoftheMauryanEmpire
tothetechnologyofthemodernworld,hisimpactremainsbothsignificantandpositive.In
AncientIndia,heunifiedalargerempirethananyofhispredecessors,unitingitunderonescript
andonedharma.Today,hisaccomplishmentsstillremainintheformofBuddhism,thereligion
hesinglehandedlytookandspreadacrosstheworld.Inboththeancientworldandtoday,
Ashokaremainsthemostworthyofthehonorofallnations.

InTextCitations

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Oliver,JohnP.
MansaMusaandtheEmpireofMali
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2013.Print.

Sen,AmulyaChandra."AshokaEmperorofIndia."
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EncyclopediaBritannica,n.d.Web.14May2015.