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Maurya & Kalinga: Power, Remorse, and the Ethics of Empire

Maurya & Kalinga: Power, Remorse, and the Ethics of Empire

Overview

This journey traces the political imagination of the Mauryan world, focusing on Ashoka’s transformation after the Kalinga War. Through sacred landscapes, inscriptions, architecture, and regional memory, students explore how an empire is built and how it redefines itself. Odisha becomes a living classroom where political ethics, devotion, and public narrative intersect.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will:

  • Interpret inscriptions as instruments of governance and moral communication.
  • Explore sacred geography as political space.
  • Ask: Can remorse reshape statecraft?
  • Examine how architecture communicates authority and devotion simultaneously.
  • Produce reflective policy-style syntheses linking ancient governance to contemporary leadership dilemmas.
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IDEAL DISCIPLINES

History

Religious Studies

Political Science

Ethics

Philosophy

Public Policy

South Asian Studies

Archaeology

Art History

Cultural Studies

International Relations

Education

Leadership Studies

Key Locations

Delhi
Bodh Gaya Corridor
Bhubaneswar
Konark Sun Temple

Itinerary Table

Day Location Academic Engagement Learning Emphasis
1
 Delhi Arrival; orientation to Mauryan world Establishing shared historical frame
2–3
 Delhi Edicts workshop; governance seminar; text-to-site interpretation exercises Connecting political language with lived landscapes
4–6
 Bodh Gaya Corridor Sacred geography immersion; pilgrimage economy observation Understanding devotion as social infrastructure
7–10
 Bhubaneswar–Konark Architectural reading; art and symbolism dialogue; memory and narrative critique Examining how power and beauty co-exist in built form
11–12
 Delhi Synthesis studio; leadership reflection lab Considering empire, ethics, and public responsibility
13
 Delhi Departure Closure