Asoka

Emperor of India
Lived: c.299 - c.232 BC

§ Background:
Asoka was one of the greatest rulers of ancient India. He brought nearly all of India (plus Afghanistan and Baluchistan) under one rule for the first (and thus far, only) time in history. Despite his great military prowess, Asoka grew weary of war; and over time he became disgusted at its stupidity and pointlessness.
§ A popular young general and statesman, Asoka ascended to the Mauryan throne upon his father's death in 273 BC, at the approximate age of 26. He began his rule as a conqueror, seeking to expand his nation's power across the Indian subcontinent and beyond. He was quite successful, and his empire grew.
§ However, after his bloody conquest of the Kalinga state in which over 100,000 people died and another 150,000 were injured, Asoka underwent a great spiritual change. Deeply remorseful for all of the suffering he had caused, he abandoned wars of conquest and accepted Buddhism. He turned from expansion and instead concentrated upon improving the spiritual and physical well-being of his people. He modified many of his country's harsh laws, and he advocated tolerance of all faiths. He built many Buddhist monasteries throughout the land, and the arts flourished under his rule. He sent Buddhist missionaries across the known world, including to faraway places like Greece and Egypt. Despite his fervent belief in Buddhism, Asoka demanded religious tolerance in his kingdom, saying, "Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Asoka desires that all religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart."
§ Asoka died in 232 BC, and the empire he built lasted only fifty years after his death. His name would be virtually lost to history now, if it weren't for the discovery of a large number of columns and boulders inscribed with his words and teachings. These "Edicts of Asoka" contain not only a fount of information about King Asoka, showing him as a wise and thoughtful ruler, but they also provide invaluable knowledge of the early teachings and beliefs of Buddhism.