Ashoka

Ashoka the Great was a Mauryan emperor who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from about 268 to 232 BCE. He was the son of Bindusara and the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, and he presided over the empire at its greatest territorial extent. Early in his reign he expanded Mauryan power, but after the brutal conquest of Kalinga, around 262 BCE, he adopted a policy of dharma—moral governance and welfare rather than expansion by force.

Ashoka’s rule is best known for his inscriptions, or edicts, carved on rocks and pillars in Prakrit using the Brahmi script. The edicts promote moral and administrative guidelines, including non-violence, religious toleration, humane treatment of subjects, and welfare measures. They also emphasize spiritual and ethical reform, ceremonial observances, and righteous governance. To support public welfare, Ashoka sponsored infrastructure such as roads, rest houses for travelers, wells, and veterinary services, along with efforts to promote agriculture and health.

Religiously, Ashoka supported Buddhism and the dissemination of its teachings. He sponsored Buddhist monasteries, constructed stupas, and sent missions beyond his borders to spread the faith; tradition holds that Buddhist missions were sent to regions including Sri Lanka. The empire’s legacy includes the Lion Capital of Ashoka, later adopted as the national emblem of India, and a network of Pillars and Rock Edicts that illustrate governance through a moral rather than exclusively military framework.

After Ashoka’s death, the Maurya Empire gradually declined, with successive rulers unable to maintain its vast holdings, and the empire eventually collapsed in the mid-2nd century BCE. Ashoka’s reign is frequently cited as a high point in ancient Indian governance and the early spread of Buddhism.