Ruler · Classical antiquity · India

Ashoka

r. c. 268–c. 232 BC

Emperor of the Maurya Empire from about 268 to 232 BC, who ruled nearly the whole Indian subcontinent. After the bloody conquest of Kalinga he turned to Buddhism and had his edicts of tolerance and moral rule carved on pillars and rocks across India. His lion capital is the emblem of modern India.

Facts

Reign: About 268 to 232 BC.; Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ashoka
Died: About 232 BC.; Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ashoka
Realm: The Maurya Empire, covering most of the Indian subcontinent.; Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ashoka
Known for: The Kalinga war, the rock and pillar edicts, and the spread of Buddhism.; Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ashoka

Images

The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath (photograph via Wikimedia Commons)

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