(broadly meaning the emperor). Although the early part of Ashoka’s reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty, he became a follower of the Buddha’s teaching after his conquest of Kalinga in 263 BC, on the East Coast of India in the present-day state of Orissa.
It is said that the loss of life caused by battle, reprisals, deportations and the turmoil that always exists in the aftermath of war so horrified Asoka that it brought about a complete change in his personality. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly has to be credited with the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist polity. He had a crucial part to play in helping Buddhism to spread both throughout India and abroad, and built the first major Buddhist monuments.
In the later part of his life Ashoka preferred to make the weak domains his allies rather than defeating them and annexing their territories with his kingdom. He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and renovating major roads throughout India. The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath is the most popular of the relics left by Ashoka. Made of sandstone, it records the visit of the emperor to Sarnath, in the 3rd century BC. Emperor Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years, and after his death in 232 BC, the Maurya dynasty lasted just fifty more years. Ashoka had many wives and children, but their names are lost to time. Stories about Ashoka, similar in outline but differing greatly in details, are found in the Divyavadana, the Asokavadana, the Mahavamsa and several other works. They tell us of an exceptionally ruthless prince who had many brothers whom he killed in order to seize the throne. But then he dramatically converted to Buddhism and ruled wisely and justly for the rest of his life. Generally he is considered among the legendary kings who had ruled righteously in the past and who, people hope, would rule
