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Ashoka was headquartered in

Magadha (Bihar). His kingdom
stretched from Pakistan and Afghanistan in the west, to Assam
and Bangladesh in the east, and
as far as Kerala and Andhra
Pradesh in the south.
In his younger days
Ashoka is said to have
had a massive temper
and was also considered to be a very cruel
person. He was nicknamed Chand Ashoka,
meaning 'Ashoka the
fierce' after building a
horrific torture chamber. He once put his
ministers through a
test of loyalty in which
around 500 of them
failed.

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Within 8 years of ascending the

throne, Ashoka expanded his empire
to regions in Iran and Persia. His quest
to expand his empire however would
change after the bloody battle of Kalinga.

Kalinga was a state in the

fertile land between the Godavari and Mahanadi rivers.
Ashoka invaded this kingdom after they refused to
bow down to him. It is said
that a 100,000 soldiers of
the Kalinga army died in this
war and Ashoka too lost
around 10,000 of his men.

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After the battle, Ashoka was very moved by the

devastation he had caused. He saw burnt
houses and scattered corpses all around, and
the wails of the mourners pierced his ears.

Ashoka adopted Buddhism soon

after, embracing its message of
peace. He made it the state religion
and propagated its message within
the boundaries of his kingdom as
well as in other parts of the world.
He built thousands of Stupas and
Viharas that still stand until today.

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For the remainder of his

life Ashoka practiced
Ahimsa (non-violence).
Hunting was limited for
consumption and unnecessary slaughter of
animals was abolished.
He also promoted the
concept of vegetarianism.

During his reign, Ashoka built

many universities, water transit and irrigation systems to
promote trade and agriculture. He constructed hospitals
and renovated major roads
throughout his kingdom and
treated his subjects equally
regardless of their politics, culture, or class.

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All our knowledge of Ashoka's
rule is from inscriptions he had
carved on pillars and rocks
throughout his kingdom. They all
speak of compassionate living
and spreading peace and love.

After 40 years on the throne

Ashoka breathed his last
breath at the ripe age of 72.
He left behind a legacy of an
able ruler and lawmaker, a
hero, a monk and a noble
preacher of dharma. Ashoka
was the last of the great
kings of the Mauryan dynasty that eventually fell
apart 50 years later.

The End.
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