King Ashoka, or Ashoka the
Great as he was known, ruled India more than 2000 years ago. He was all for conquering and expanding his kingdom. But the heavy loss of life in the battle at Kalinga
(modern Orissa) made him a changed man. He
took to Buddhism and became a proponent of non-violence, imposing a ban on
animal sacrifices and promoting vegetarianism.
He issued his views in the form of edicts and inscriptions carved on
rocks and pillars in his kingdom.
“Ashoka and the Muddled
Messages” is a fictional story. Someone
is tampering with Ashoka’s edicts by conveying the opposite of what the king
wants to communicate to his people. Ashoka seeks
help from his Tremendous Ten, a team of trustworthy female bodyguards, who use
their prowess to investigate.
Other interesting characters
in the story are Ashoka’s chief minister, Agramatya who dons different coloured
beards and an incredibly fussy Queen Tishya who is sick of the strictly
vegetarian meals cooked by the royal chef!
Who is responsible for altering
the edicts? You’ll have to read the book
to find out!
I learned a few things
about King Ashoka as part of my school curriculum years ago. But, thanks to this story (especially the Fact
or Fiction section in the end of the book), I learned a few new things – that Ashoka
had female bodyguards, that coloured beards were in fashion in that era (why
not now, I wonder?), how Ashoka married Queen Tishya, the different names for
units of time, and so on.
A part of the
HISTORY-MYSTERY series from Duckbill Publishers, this is an interesting read
for middle level readers (9+). Though
some younger children may be able to read it, I think the sarcasm and humour will
not be fully understood and appreciated.
I loved the Fact or Fiction
section at the end of the story. But I
would’ve liked to see a separate word glossary to look up while reading the
story.
The author, Natasha Sharma
has creatively chalked out a well-written story about Ashoka’s real
edicts. Tanvi Bhat’s illustrations are wonderful,
making it attractive for readers to pick up the book and satisfy their curiosity.
Look forward to reading
other books in the series – “Akbar and the Tricky Traitor” and “Raja Raja and
the Swapped Snacks”.
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