Ashoka

Emperor & Buddhist Patron

(304 BCE – Unknown) · South Asia

Emperor of the Maurya dynasty of India who reigned from approximately 268 to 232 BCE. After witnessing the devastating casualties of the Kalinga War, he converted to Buddhism and renounced military conquest. He promoted dharma, non-violence, and religious tolerance across his vast empire through a series of edicts inscribed on pillars and rock faces.