Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/190

 166 ASOKA MAURYA AND HIS SUCCESSORS Two years earlier, in 259 B. c., Asoka had abolished the royal hunt, which formed such an important ele- ment in the amusements of his grandfather's court. " In times past," he observes, " their Majesties were wont to go out on pleasure tours, during which hunting and other similar amusements used to be practised." But his Sacred and Gracious Majesty no longer cared for such frivolous outings, and had substituted for them solemn progresses devoted to inspection of the country and people, visits and largess to holy men, and preach- ing and discussion of the Law of Piety. As time went on, Asoka 's passionate devotion to the doctrine of the sanctity of animal life grew in in- tensity and, in 243 B. c., resulted in the production of a stringent code of regulations applicable to all classes of the population throughout the empire, with- out distinction of creed. Many kinds of animals were absolutely protected from slaughter in any circum- stances, and the slaying of animals commonly used for food by the flesh-eating population, although not totally prohibited, was hedged round by severe restric- tions. On fifty-six specified days in the year, killing under any pretext was categorically forbidden, and in many ways the liberty of the subject was very seriously contracted. While Asoka lived, these regulations were, no doubt, strictly enforced by the special officers ap- pointed for the purpose, and it is not unlikely that deliberate breach of the more important regulations was visited with the capital penalty. The second cardinal doctrine inculcated and insisted