Karuvaki
| Karuvaki | |
|---|---|
| Empress consort of the Maurya Empire | |
| Born |
288 BC Kalinga, India |
| Spouse | Ashoka |
| Issue | Tivala (son) |
| House | Maurya |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Karuvaki (or Charuvaki) was the second queen[1] of the third Mauryan emperor, Ashoka. She was also the mother of Ashoka's son, Prince Tivala.
Life
Karuvaki was immortalized in the Queen Edict wherein her religious and charitable donations were recorded as per her wishes. This gives an image of her being a self-possessed and strong-willed consort, who wanted an act of philanthropy recorded as specifically hers.[2][3]
The edict also identifies her as mother to their son, Prince Tivala (also referred to as Tivara), who is the only son of Ashoka mentioned by name in his inscriptions.[4][5][6]
Despite the fact that Ashoka had many queens, Kaurwaki is the only queen of Ashoka, who was named in his inscriptions and edicts.[7][8]
It is said that Karuvaki had rivalry with Asandhimitra for being the chief consort. The rivalry becomes more fierce after Asandhimitra adopts Kunala since he might give good competition to Tivala for the throne.
In popular culture
- Karuvaki was portrayed by Kareena Kapoor in the 2001 Bollywood film, Aśoka.[9]
- Reem Sheikh and Saumya Seth portrays Karuvaki in Colors TV's 2015 historical drama, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat.[10]
- She is the main character of The Ashoka Trilogy, The Prince of Pataliputra by Shreyas Bhave.
- Kalinga Karubaki Award established by Kalinga Literary Festival to honour the great warrior princess of Kalinga[11]
References
- ↑ Shah, Kirit K. (2001). The problem of identity : women in early Indian inscriptions. New Delhi [u.a.]: Oxford University Press. pp. 33, 180. ISBN 9780195653229.
- ↑ Nayanjot Lahiri (2015). Ashoka in Ancient India. Harvard University Press. p. 283.
- ↑ Romesh Chunder Dutt; Vincent Arthur Smith; Stanley Lane-Poole; Henry Miers Elliot; William Wilson Hunter; Alfred Comyn Lyall (1906). History of India, Volume 2; Volume 6. The Grolier Society. p. 175.
- ↑ "The Queen Edict". Buddha's World. 1999. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ↑ Thapar, Romila (1973). Aśoka and the decline of the Mauryas. Oxford University Press. p. 30.
- ↑ The Cambridge Shorter History of India. Cambridge University Press Archive. p. 53.
- ↑ Gupta, Subhadra Sen (2009). "Ashoka's family". Ashoka. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184758078.
- ↑ University of Allahabad. Dept. of Modern Indian History, University of Kerala. Dept. of History, University of Travancore, University of Kerala (1963). "Journal of Indian History". 41. Department of Modern Indian History: 155.
- ↑ "Ashoka the Great (2001)". IMDB. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Reem to play Ashoka's love interest". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ↑ http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/kalinga-lit-fest-begins-in-city-on-june-10.html