Karuvaki

Karuvaki
Empress consort of the Maurya Empire
Born	3rd century BCE Kalinga, India
Spouse	Ashoka
Issue	Tivala (son)
House	Maurya
Religion	Buddhism

Karuvaki (Odia: Karubaki,Sanskrit: Charuvaki) was the second queen of the third Mauryan emperor, Ashoka. She was also the mother of Ashoka's son, Prince Tivala.

According to historian M.N. Das, Karuvaki was a jagannath's[kalinga king] daughter who converted to Buddhism and became a sanyasini. Following Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism, he married her and made her his queen. According to Das, she had guided Ashoka towards his religious leanings.

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.

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. The inference being that, Karuvaki, was the favourite and the mother of the prince who would've succeeded his father but who probably predeceased him.

Karuvaki is thought to be a powerful woman as she is the only queen of Ashoka, who holds the distinction of being named in his inscriptions and edicts.

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