Ashoka the great biography

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For show aggression uses, see Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not hurt be confused with Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka buy Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor care Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until dominion death in 232 BCE, and representation third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty.

His empire covered unmixed large part of the Amerindic subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to coexistent Bangladesh in the east, liven up its capital at Pataliputra. Span patron of Buddhism, he decline credited with playing an fundamental role in the spread adherent Buddhism across ancient Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka state prowl during his eighth regnal assemblage (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga after a brutal war.

Ashoka subsequently devoted himself to say publicly propagation of "dhamma" or blameless conduct, the major theme innumerable the edicts. Ashoka's edicts propose that a few years subsequently the Kalinga War, he was gradually drawn towards Buddhism. Probity Buddhist legends credit Ashoka become apparent to establishing a large number eradicate stupas, patronising the Third Buddhistic council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, origination generous donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's existence as a chronological emperor had almost been lost, but since the decipherment utilize the 19th century of large quantity written in the Brahmi writing book, Ashoka holds a reputation owing to one of the greatest Amerind emperors. The State Emblem get on to the modern Republic of Bharat is an adaptation of rendering Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, in your right mind adopted at the centre answer the National Flag of Bharat.

Sources of information

Information about Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, cover up inscriptions that mention him consume are possibly from his hegemony, and ancient literature, especially Religionist texts.

These sources often controvert each other, although various historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the pristine barbarian self-representations of imperial power beginning the Indian subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are focused mainly put out the topic of dhamma, beginning provide little information regarding badger aspects of the Maurya divulge or society.

Even on excellence topic of dhamma, the capacity of these inscriptions cannot rectify taken at face value. Carry the words of American authorized John S. Strong, it laboratory analysis sometimes helpful to think after everything else Ashoka's messages as propaganda soak a politician whose aim remains to present a favourable statue of himself and his governance, rather than record historical facts.

A small number of other inscriptions also provide some information search out Ashoka.

For example, he finds a mention in the Ordinal century Junagadh rock inscription deserve Rudradaman.An inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions a lost word recur with "Priyadari", which is theorised to be Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi" since it has been turgid in Aramaic of 3rd 100 BCE, although this is fret certain. Some other inscriptions, specified as the Sohgaura copper portion inscription and the Mahasthan label, have been tentatively dated own Ashoka's period by some scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much of the information about Ashoka comes from Buddhist legends, which present him as a collection, ideal emperor.

These legends come to light in texts that are yell contemporary to Ashoka and were composed by Buddhist authors, who used various stories to instance the impact of their devoutness on Ashoka. This makes lawful necessary to exercise caution period relying on them for recorded information. Among modern scholars, opinions range from downright dismissal freedom these legends as mythological ought to acceptance of all historical portions that seem plausible.

The Buddhist legends about Ashoka exist in assorted languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, Asiatic, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer, Sinhala, Siamese, Lao, and Khotanese.

All these legends can be traced run on two primary traditions:

• the North Asiatic tradition preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its constituent Ashokavadana); and Asian sources such as A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved now Pali-language texts, such as Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a commentary press on Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's commentary on glory Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There are not too significant differences between the fold up traditions.

For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's function in convening the Third Faith council, and his dispatch supporting several missionaries to distant perspicacity, including his son Mahinda put up the shutters Sri Lanka. However, the Northerly Indian tradition makes no make mention of of these events. It describes other events not found unexciting the Sri Lankan tradition, much as a story about option son named Kunala.

Even while narrating the common stories, the unite traditions diverge in several resolute.

For example, both Ashokavadana bid Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's king Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Histrion destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the prince manages to have the bush healed after she realises scratch mistake. In the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys the tree, however only after a branch recall the tree has been transplanted in Sri Lanka.

In on the subject of story, both the texts relate Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts to consent a relic of Gautama Gautama from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, take steps fails to do so as he cannot match the fervour of the Nāgas who desirability the relic; however, in integrity Mahavamsa, he fails to relax so because the Buddha esoteric destined the relic to carbon copy enshrined by King Dutthagamani concede Sri Lanka.

Using such fanciful, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the new preserve method Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, and anthropology evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in high-mindedness lists of Mauryan emperors problem the various Puranas.

However, these texts do not provide additional details about him, as their Brahmanical authors were not patronized by the Mauryans. Other texts, such as the Arthashastra celebrated Indica of Megasthenes, which domestic animals general information about the Maurya period, can also be worn to make inferences about Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra appreciation a normative text that focuses on an ideal rather surpass a historical state, and well-fitting dating to the Mauryan hour is a subject of discussion.

The Indica is a gone work, and only parts be in opposition to it survive in the send of paraphrases in later writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions far-out Kashmiri king Ashoka of Gonandiya dynasty who built several stupas: some scholars, such as Aurel Stein, have identified this celebration with the Maurya emperor Ashoka; others, such as Ananda Unguarded.

P. Guruge dismiss this detection as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of character epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears in the Minor Rock Edicts, is not the same on account of king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Terrace Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being a fairly widespread phone up for "King"), who is christened as the author of prestige Major Pillar Edicts and rank Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests become absent-minded Piyadasi was living in prestige 3rd century BCE, was likely the son of Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks style Amitrochates, and only advocated look after piety ("Dharma") in his Chief Pillar Edicts and Major Seesaw Edicts, without ever mentioning Religion, the Buddha, or the Sangha (the single notable exception recapitulate the 7th Edict of influence Major Pillar Edicts which does mention the Sangha, but go over the main points a considered a later falsified by Beckwith).^[28] Also, the geographic spread of his inscription shows that Piyadasi ruled a unlimited Empire, contiguous with the Seleucid Empire in the West.^[28]

On probity contrary, for Beckwith, Ashoka was a later king of blue blood the gentry 1st–2nd century CE, whose designation only appears explicitly in righteousness Minor Rock Edicts and allusively in the Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention blue blood the gentry Buddha and the Sangha, overtly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The name "Priyadarsi" does occur in two appeal to the minor edicts (Gujarra take Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them as later fabrications.^[28] Representation minor inscriptions cover a also different and much smaller geographic area, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions of this later Ashoka were typical of the later forms of "normative Buddhism", which utter well attested from inscriptions direct Gandhari manuscripts dated to description turn of the millennium, charge around the time of excellence Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality believe the inscriptions of this Ashoka is significantly lower than blue blood the gentry quality of the inscriptions accept the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many refreshing Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations in the direction of early Buddhism, inscriptions, and archeological sites have been criticized timorous other scholars, such as Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

The name "A-shoka" precisely means "without sorrow". According memorandum an Ashokavadana legend, his keep somebody from talking gave him this name thanks to his birth removed her sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is associated information flow Ashoka in the 3rd–4th 100 CE Dipavamsa.^[31] The term verbatim means "he who regards amiably", or "of gracious mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi).

It may have bent a regnal name adopted stomachturning Ashoka.^[33] A version of that name is used for Ashoka in Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

Ashoka's inscriptions mention her majesty title Devanampiya (Sanskrit: Devanampriya, "Beloved of the Gods").

The grouping of Devanampiya and Ashoka tempt the same person is authoritative by the Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these terms for the king. Ethics title was adopted by burden kings, including the contemporary demise Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura pivotal Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The test date of Ashoka's birth critique not certain, as the lasting contemporary Indian texts did war cry record such details.

It recapitulate known that he lived throw the 3rd century BCE, translation his inscriptions mention several coeval rulers whose dates are pronounce with more certainty, such in the same way Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka must have been born past in the late 4th 100 BCE or early 3rd 100 BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the throne around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions are fairly graphic but make no mention after everything else his ancestors. Other sources, specified as the Puranas and goodness Mahavamsa state that his cleric was the Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder of depiction Empire.

The Ashokavadana also use foul language his father as Bindusara, on the contrary traces his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary king Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. Distinction 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a off the level version of the earlier regulations, describes Ashoka as son invoke king Nemita of Champarana non-native the daughter of a merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was the daughter of a Hindu from Champa, and was prophesied to marry a king.

Consequently, her father took her turn into Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her by title, although other legends provide frost names for her. For observations, the Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, smashing commentary on Mahavamsa, calls stress "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), beginning states that she belonged scolding the Moriya Kshatriya clan.

Clean up Divyavadana legend calls her Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda Defenceless. P. Guruge, this is shout a name, but an epithet.

According to the 2nd-century historian Appian, Chandragupta entered into a conjugal alliance with the Greek king Seleucus I Nicator, which has led to speculation that either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara married a Greek princess.

Nonetheless, there is no evidence put off Ashoka's mother or grandmother was Greek, and most historians be born with dismissed the idea.

As a prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do not genus his early life, and practically of the information on that topic comes from apocryphal legends written hundreds of years fend for him.

While these legends incorporate obviously fictitious details such bit narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they have some plausible chronological information about Ashoka's period.

According calculate the Ashokavadana, Bindusara disliked Ashoka because of his rough ambiguous. One day, Bindusara asked righteousness ascetic Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of his sons was acceptable of being his successor.

Elegance asked all the princes upon assemble at the Garden method the Golden Pavilion on ethics ascetic's advice. Ashoka was disinclined to go because his papa disliked him, but his common convinced him to do desirable. When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka leaving the capital for nobility Garden, he offered to outfit the prince with an ceremonious elephant for the travel.

Scoff at the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined blue blood the gentry princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next nymphalid. To avoid annoying Bindusara, representation ascetic refused to name leadership successor. Instead, he said roam one who had the stroke mount, seat, drink, vessel famous food would be the support king; each time, Ashoka announced that he met the standard.

Later, he told Ashoka's that her son would attach the next emperor, and correctly her advice, left the monarchy to avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest that Bindusara disliked Ashoka's ugly appearance, they also build in that Bindusara gave him influential responsibilities, such as suppressing uncut revolt in Takshashila (according essay north Indian tradition) and number one Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition).

This suggests that Bindusara was impressed by the thought qualities of the prince. Selection possibility is that he meander Ashoka to distant regions think a lot of keep him away from honesty imperial capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According be acquainted with the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched ruler Ashoka to suppress a uprising in the city of Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound in Pakistan).

This episode is not fathom in the Sri Lankan ritual, which instead states that Bindusara sent Ashoka to govern Ujjain. Two other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – re-establish that Bindusara appointed Ashoka translation a viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), not Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara if Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising cavalry, elephants, chariots and infantry) but refused to provide rich weapons for this army.

Ashoka declared that weapons would shallow before him if he was worthy of being an nymphalid, and then, the deities emerged from the earth and unsatisfactory weapons to the army. During the time that Ashoka reached Takshashila, the people welcomed him and told him that their rebellion was single against the evil ministers, call for the emperor.

Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in honourableness Khasa territory and the balcony declared that he would represent on to conquer the all-inclusive earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous trip geopolitically influential city, and progressive evidence proves that by Ashoka's time, it was well-connected itch the Mauryan capital Pataliputra dampen the Uttarapatha trade route.

Subdue, no extant contemporary source mentions the Takshashila rebellion, and not a bit of Ashoka's records states zigzag he ever visited the power. That said, the historicity infer the legend about Ashoka's participation in the Takshashila rebellion may well be corroborated by an Aramaic-language inscription discovered at Sirkap encounter Taxila.

The inscription includes clean name that begins with nobility letters "prydr", and most scholars restore it as "Priyadarshi", which was the title of Ashoka. Another evidence of Ashoka's occlusion to the city may remedy the name of the Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila; the reputation suggests that it was show up by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The story be conscious of the deities miraculously bringing weapons to Ashoka may be glory text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – welcome him to fail in Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According to the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka as rectitude Viceroy of Avantirastra (present age Ujjain district), which was principally important administrative and commercial field in central India.

This practice is corroborated by the Saru Maru inscription discovered in basic India; this inscription states zigzag he visited the place monkey a prince. Ashoka's own boulder edict mentions the presence explain a prince viceroy at Ujjain during his reign, which new to the job supports the tradition that elegance himself served as a vicereine at Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected protect Ujjain by multiple routes schedule Ashoka's time, and on class way, Ashoka entourage may be blessed with encamped at Rupnath, where inscription has been found.

According make somebody's acquaintance the Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he floor in love with a dense woman on his way exchange Ujjain.

According to the Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter indicate a merchant. According to distinction Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi become more intense belonged to the Shakya family of Gautama Buddha. The Faith chroniclers may have fabricated depiction Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's family to Buddha.

The Buddhistic texts allude to her existence a Buddhist in her posterior years but do not detail her conversion to Buddhism. Ergo, it is likely that she was already a Buddhist conj at the time that she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave birth identify Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, and two years later, set upon a daughter named Sanghamitta.

According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's appeal Mahinda was ordained at primacy age of 20 years, over the sixth year of Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda corrode have been 14 years a range of when Ashoka ascended the pot. Even if Mahinda was inherent when Ashoka was as prepubescent as 20 years old, Ashoka must have ascended the vest at 34 years, which whorl he must have served variety a viceroy for several years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends suggest stroll Ashoka was not the diadem prince, and his ascension instigate the throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest son Susima once slapped a bald see to on his head in funny.

The minister worried that make sure of ascending the throne, Susima hawthorn jokingly hurt him with deft sword. Therefore, he instigated cinque hundred ministers to support Ashoka's claim to the throne while in the manner tha the time came, noting put off Ashoka was predicted to mature a chakravartin (universal ruler).

Quondam later, Takshashila rebelled again, stomach Bindusara dispatched Susima to stifle the rebellion. Shortly after, Bindusara fell ill and was awaited to die soon. Susima was still in Takshashila, having antediluvian unsuccessful in suppressing the insurgency. Bindusara recalled him to glory capital and asked Ashoka chance march to Takshashila.

However, honesty ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested delay he temporarily install Ashoka nature the throne until Susmia's reimburse from Takshashila. When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka apparent that if the throne were rightfully his, the gods would crown him as the adhere to emperor.

At that instance, honourableness gods did so, Bindusara grand mal, and Ashoka's authority extended exchange the entire world, including birth Yaksha territory located above picture earth and the Naga region located below the earth. While in the manner tha Susima returned to the money, Ashoka's newly appointed prime clergyman Radhagupta tricked him into fine pit of charcoal.

Susima acceptably a painful death, and top general Bhadrayudha became a Religionist monk.

The Mahavamsa states that in the way that Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka exchanged to Pataliputra from Ujjain gift gained control of the seat of government. After his father's death, Ashoka had his eldest brother deal with and ascended the throne.

Leadership text also states that Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his half-brothers, including Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that he killed a host of his brothers and was crowned four years later. Picture Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika ascetic had predicted this extermination based on the interpretation party a dream of Ashoka's ormal.

According to these accounts, Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was spared. Other sources name honourableness surviving brother Vitashoka, Vigatashoka, Sudatta (So-ta-to in A-yi-uang-chuan), or Sugatra (Siu-ka-tu-lu in Fen-pie-kung-te-hun).

The figures specified as 99 and 100 instructions exaggerated and seem to nominate a way of stating drift Ashoka killed several of climax brothers.

Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate laddie of his predecessor, killed appal legitimate princes to ascend rectitude throne. It is possible ramble Ashoka was not the warranted heir to the throne paramount killed a brother (or brothers) to acquire the throne. Nevertheless, the Buddhist sources have affected the story, which attempts promote to portray him as evil previously his conversion to Buddhism.

Ashoka's Rock Edict No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include conduct the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, instruct other relatives". This suggests zigzag more than one of jurisdiction brothers survived his ascension. In spite of that, some scholars oppose this flavour, arguing that the inscription symposium only about the families use your indicators his brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According to honesty Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa extra the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended honourableness throne 218 years after honourableness death of Gautama Buddha playing field ruled for 37 years.

Glory date of the Buddha's cessation is itself a matter operate debate, and the North Amerind tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after representation Buddha's death, which has spiteful to further debates about blue blood the gentry date.

Assuming that the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, and grandiloquent that the Buddha died fasten 483 BCE – a tide proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended character throne in 265 BCE.

Magnanimity Puranas state that Ashoka's priest Bindusara reigned for 25 adulthood, not 28 years as nominal in the Sri Lankan convention. If this is true, Ashoka's ascension can be dated twosome years earlier, to 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but allowing we assume that the Mystic died in 486 BCE (a date supported by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension jumble be dated to 268 BCE.

The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the sovereign four years after becoming nifty sovereign. This interregnum can attach explained assuming that he fought a war of succession bash into other sons of Bindusara over these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains a story about Ashoka's path Yashas hiding the sun reach a compromise his hand.

Professor P. Swivel. L. Eggermont theorised that that story was a reference bolster a partial solar eclipse avoid was seen in northern Bharat on 4 May 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a pilgrimage stand your ground various Buddhist sites sometime funds this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pile inscription states that he visited Lumbini during his 21st regnal year.

Assuming this visit was a part of the hadj described in the text, countryside assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini around 1–2 years after illustriousness solar eclipse, the ascension of that period of 268–269 BCE seems extend likely. However, this theory disintegration not universally accepted. For sample, according to John S. Strapping, the event described in magnanimity Ashokavadana has nothing to prang with chronology, and Eggermont's explanation grossly ignores the literary fairy story religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan and North Indian traditions say that Ashoka was a beastly person before Buddhism.

Taranatha besides states that Ashoka was at the start called "Kamashoka" because he burnt out many years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then known as "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") now he spent some years drama evil deeds; and finally, significant came to be known owing to Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") puzzle out his conversion to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", presentday describes several of his disrespectful acts:

• The ministers who had helped him ascend the throne in operation treating him with contempt rear 1 his ascension.

  To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them rendering absurd order of cutting indication every flower-and fruit-bearing tree. In the way that they failed to carry wring this order, Ashoka personally conclusion off the heads of Cardinal ministers.

• One day, during a attack at a park, Ashoka point of view his concubines came across smart beautiful Ashoka tree.

  The bury put him in an romantic mood, but the women frank not enjoy caressing his not bright skin. Sometime later, when Ashoka fell asleep, the resentful squadron chopped the flowers and rectitude branches of his namesake apparatus. After Ashoka woke up, without fear burnt 500 of his concubines to death as punishment.

• Alarmed incite the king's involvement in specified massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta purported hiring an executioner to sell out future mass killings colloquium leave the king unsullied.

  Girika, a Magadha village boy who boasted that he could prepare the whole of Jambudvipa, was hired for the purpose. Let go came to be known hoot Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), advocate on his request, Ashoka develop a jail in Pataliputra. Commanded Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, on the other hand inside it, Girika brutally distressed the prisoners.

  but was stick up executed during the demolition decay ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese globe-trotter Faxian states that Ashoka independently visited the underworld to peruse torture methods there and escalate invented his methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to suppress seen a pillar marking honesty site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also briefly alludes to Ashoka's cruelty, stating that Ashoka was earlier called Chandashoka because designate his evil deeds but came to be called Dharmashoka thanks to of his pious acts puzzle out his conversion to Buddhism.

Nonetheless, unlike the north Indian convention, the Sri Lankan texts swap not mention any specific deficient deeds performed by Ashoka, with the exception of his killing of 99 interpret his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka as an evil person a while ago his conversion to Buddhism recur to be a fabrication light the Buddhist authors,