Ashoka

Mauryan emperor whose remorse after Kalinga turned his reign toward Buddhist rule and stone edicts.

Core Principles & Analysis

• His edicts on pillars and rocks across the subcontinent are India's oldest deciphered writing.
• Renounced conquest after the Kalinga war, sending missions as far as Egypt and Greece.
• His lion capital became India's national emblem.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: c. 268 – 232 BC