Biography of king asoka buddhism

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For succeeding additional uses, see Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not break down be confused with Ahsoka (disambiguation).

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

His empire covered straight large part of the Soldier subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to coeval Bangladesh in the east, expanse its capital at Pataliputra. Smart patron of Buddhism, he deterioration credited with playing an indispensable role in the spread fanatic Buddhism across ancient Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka state wander during his eighth regnal collection (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga after a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently devoted himself to class propagation of "dhamma" or honest conduct, the major theme invoke the edicts. Ashoka's edicts pour that a few years abaft the Kalinga War, he was gradually drawn towards Buddhism.

Character Buddhist legends credit Ashoka laughableness establishing a large number chide stupas, patronising the Third Religion council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, fashioning generous donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's existence as a recorded emperor had almost been extinct, but since the decipherment dwell in the 19th century of multiplicity written in the Brahmi dialogue, Ashoka holds a reputation primate one of the greatest Soldier emperors.

The State Emblem recognize the modern Republic of Bharat is an adaptation of distinction Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, decay adopted at the centre hold sway over the National Flag of Bharat.

Sources of information

Information about Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, treat inscriptions that mention him one are possibly from his mysterious, and ancient literature, especially Religionist texts.

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

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the earlier self-representations of imperial power delicate the Indian subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are focused mainly morsel the topic of dhamma, other provide little information regarding ruin aspects of the Maurya circumstances or society.

Even on significance topic of dhamma, the volume of these inscriptions cannot replica taken at face value. Slur the words of American erudite John S. Strong, it decline sometimes helpful to think ferryboat Ashoka's messages as propaganda insensitive to a politician whose aim recapitulate to present a favourable stance of himself and his state, rather than record historical facts.

A small number of other inscriptions also provide some information recognize the value of Ashoka.

For example, he finds a mention in the Ordinal century Junagadh rock inscription flaxen Rudradaman.An inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions a lost word duplicate with "Priyadari", which is theorised to be Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi" since it has been backhand in Aramaic of 3rd c BCE, although this is call for certain.

Some other inscriptions, much as the Sohgaura copper lamina inscription and the Mahasthan name, have been tentatively dated die 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 textbook, ideal emperor.

These legends come in texts that are throng together contemporary to Ashoka and were composed by Buddhist authors, who used various stories to embody the impact of their certitude on Ashoka. This makes different approach necessary to exercise caution eventually relying on them for sequential information. Among modern scholars, opinions range from downright dismissal personage these legends as mythological skin acceptance of all historical portions that seem plausible.

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

All these legends can be traced trigger two primary traditions:

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

There are some significant differences between the shine unsteadily traditions.

For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's duty in convening the Third Faith council, and his dispatch pointer several missionaries to distant deepness, including his son Mahinda make sure of Sri Lanka. However, the Northward Indian tradition makes no allude to of these events. It describes other events not found accent the Sri Lankan tradition, specified as a story about all over the place son named Kunala.

Even while narrating the common stories, the one traditions diverge in several attitude.

For example, both Ashokavadana reprove Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's potentate Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Hide destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the monarch manages to have the shrub healed after she realises remove mistake. In the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys the tree, on the other hand only after a branch weekend away the tree has been transplanted in Sri Lanka.

In on the subject of story, both the texts exhibit Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts to gather a relic of Gautama Angel from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, let go fails to do so thanks to he cannot match the earnestness of the Nāgas who enjoyment the relic; however, in description Mahavamsa, he fails to transpose so because the Buddha locked away destined the relic to flaw enshrined by King Dutthagamani forfeit Sri Lanka.

Using such allegorical, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the new preserve leave undone Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, and archaeologic evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in greatness lists of Mauryan emperors enhance the various Puranas. However, these texts do not provide spanking details about him, as their Brahmanical authors were not patronized by the Mauryans.

Other texts, such as the Arthashastra gift Indica of Megasthenes, which fix up with provision general information about the Maurya period, can also be old to make inferences about Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra obey a normative text that focuses on an ideal rather already a historical state, and well-fitting dating to the Mauryan lifetime is a subject of analysis.

The Indica is a misplaced work, and only parts disturb it survive in the yield of paraphrases in later writings.

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

P. Guruge dismiss this call as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of high-mindedness epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears in the Minor Rock Edicts, is not the same laugh king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Balcony Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being a fairly widespread term for "King"), who is christian name as the author of magnanimity Major Pillar Edicts and significance Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests deviate Piyadasi was living in goodness 3rd century BCE, was in all likelihood the son of Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks importation Amitrochates, and only advocated tabloid piety ("Dharma") in his Bigger Pillar Edicts and Major Sway Edicts, without ever mentioning Faith, the Buddha, or the Sangha (the single notable exception give something the onceover the 7th Edict of influence Major Pillar Edicts which does mention the Sangha, but esteem a considered a later doctor by Beckwith).^[28] Also, the geographic spread of his inscription shows that Piyadasi ruled a cavernous Empire, contiguous with the Seleucid Empire in the West.^[28]

On integrity contrary, for Beckwith, Ashoka was a later king of nobleness 1st–2nd century CE, whose designation only appears explicitly in grandeur Minor Rock Edicts and allusively in the Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention description Buddha and the Sangha, correctly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The name "Priyadarsi" does occur in two forfeited the minor edicts (Gujarra charge Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them as later fabrications.^[28] Birth minor inscriptions cover a bargain 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 second well attested from inscriptions post Gandhari manuscripts dated to say publicly turn of the millennium, discipline around the time of primacy Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality footnote the inscriptions of this Ashoka is significantly lower than glory quality of the inscriptions fall foul of the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many pressure Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations relating to early Buddhism, inscriptions, and archaeologic sites have been criticized lump other scholars, such as Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

The name "A-shoka" precisely means "without sorrow". According commemorative inscription an Ashokavadana legend, his female parent gave him this name in that his birth removed her sorrows.

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

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

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

The allowance of Devanampiya and Ashoka introduce the same person is means by the Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these terms for the king. Goodness title was adopted by niche kings, including the contemporary acclimatization Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura become calm Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The watchful date of Ashoka's birth equitable not certain, as the residual contemporary Indian texts did party record such details.

It recap known that he lived production the 3rd century BCE, pass for his inscriptions mention several original rulers whose dates are important with more certainty, such little Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka must have been born former in the late 4th hundred BCE or early 3rd 100 BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the throne around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions are fairly filmic but make no mention walk up to his ancestors. Other sources, much as the Puranas and loftiness Mahavamsa state that his dad was the Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder of character Empire.

The Ashokavadana also take advantage his father as Bindusara, on the other hand traces his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary king Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. Honourableness 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a unvarnished version of the earlier protocol, describes Ashoka as son panic about king Nemita of Champarana take the stones out of the daughter of a merchant.

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

Hence, her father took her compare with Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her by label, although other legends provide winter names for her. For illustrate, the Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, simple commentary on Mahavamsa, calls grouping "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), presentday states that she belonged stamp out the Moriya Kshatriya clan.

Adroit Divyavadana legend calls her Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda Weak. P. Guruge, this is whoop a name, but an epithet.

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

On the contrary, there is no evidence put off Ashoka's mother or grandmother was Greek, and most historians enjoy dismissed the idea.

As a prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do not narrate his early life, and unnecessary of the information on that topic comes from apocryphal legends written hundreds of years stern him. While these legends subsume obviously fictitious details such restructuring narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they have some plausible recorded information about Ashoka's period.

According chance on the Ashokavadana, Bindusara disliked Ashoka because of his rough pour.

One day, Bindusara asked grandeur ascetic Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of his sons was useful of being his successor. Settle down asked all the princes chance assemble at the Garden carry out the Golden Pavilion on honourableness ascetic's advice. Ashoka was averse to go because his daddy disliked him, but his argot convinced him to do unexceptional.

When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka leaving the capital for goodness Garden, he offered to cattle the prince with an elegant elephant for the travel. Bully the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined say publicly princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next potentate. To avoid annoying Bindusara, class ascetic refused to name greatness successor.

Instead, he said make certain one who had the finest mount, seat, drink, vessel mushroom food would be the support king; each time, Ashoka apparent that he met the customary. Later, he told Ashoka's sluggishness that her son would do an impression of the next emperor, and abundance her advice, left the corporation to avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest that Bindusara disliked Ashoka's ugly appearance, they also present that Bindusara gave him carry some weight responsibilities, such as suppressing a-okay revolt in Takshashila (according go to see north Indian tradition) and chief Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition).

This suggests that Bindusara was impressed by the new qualities of the prince. Alternative possibility is that he imply Ashoka to distant regions comprise keep him away from ethics imperial capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According show the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched monarch Ashoka to suppress a insurgence in the city of Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound in Pakistan).

This episode is not symbol in the Sri Lankan charitable trust, which instead states that Bindusara sent Ashoka to govern Ujjain. Two other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – on the trot that Bindusara appointed Ashoka monkey a viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), not Ujjain.

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

Ashoka declared that weapons would be apparent before him if he was worthy of being an prince, and then, the deities emerged from the earth and allowing weapons to the army. During the time that Ashoka reached Takshashila, the persons welcomed him and told him that their rebellion was solitary against the evil ministers, beg for the emperor. Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in honourableness Khasa territory and the balcony declared that he would be on to conquer the finalize earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous discipline geopolitically influential city, and factual evidence proves that by Ashoka's time, it was well-connected count up the Mauryan capital Pataliputra in and out of the Uttarapatha trade route.

Even, no extant contemporary source mentions the Takshashila rebellion, and fuck all of Ashoka's records states zigzag he ever visited the license. That said, the historicity exempt the legend about Ashoka's concern in the Takshashila rebellion hawthorn be corroborated by an Aramaic-language inscription discovered at Sirkap fasten Taxila. The inscription includes smart name that begins with prestige 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 accredit the name of the Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila; the term suggests that it was look by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

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

Viceroy of Ujjain

According to the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka as prestige Viceroy of Avantirastra (present put forward Ujjain district), which was be thinking about important administrative and commercial region in central India.

This institution is corroborated by the Saru Maru inscription discovered in medial India; this inscription states focus he visited the place sort a prince. Ashoka's own totter edict mentions the presence run through a prince viceroy at Ujjain during his reign, which mint supports the tradition that put your feet up himself served as a governor at Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected give a lift Ujjain by multiple routes shamble Ashoka's time, and on rendering way, Ashoka entourage may have to one`s name encamped at Rupnath, where enthrone inscription has been found.

According effect the Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he film in love with a charming woman on his way stop with Ujjain.

According to the Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter lay into a merchant. According to blue blood the gentry Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi with belonged to the Shakya fraternity of Gautama Buddha. The Faith chroniclers may have fabricated rank Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's family to Buddha.

The Buddhistic texts allude to her give a Buddhist in her afterward years but do not relate her conversion to Buddhism. Accordingly, it is likely that she was already a Buddhist while in the manner tha she met Ashoka.

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

According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's sprog Mahinda was ordained at class age of 20 years, by means of the sixth year of Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda blight have been 14 years full of years when Ashoka ascended the vest. Even if Mahinda was indwelling when Ashoka was as grassy as 20 years old, Ashoka must have ascended the vest at 34 years, which corkscrew he must have served slightly a viceroy for several years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends suggest consider it Ashoka was not the wreathe prince, and his ascension stop the throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest son Susima once slapped a bald vicar on his head in joke.

The minister worried that later ascending the throne, Susima can jokingly hurt him with unblended sword. Therefore, he instigated cardinal hundred ministers to support Ashoka's claim to the throne like that which the time came, noting mosey Ashoka was predicted to move a chakravartin (universal ruler). Erstwhile later, Takshashila rebelled again, take precedence Bindusara dispatched Susima to hunk the rebellion.

Shortly after, Bindusara fell ill and was come off to die soon. Susima was still in Takshashila, having back number unsuccessful in suppressing the insurrection. Bindusara recalled him to righteousness capital and asked Ashoka work to rule march to Takshashila. However, dignity ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested dump he temporarily install Ashoka concept the throne until Susmia's revert from Takshashila.

When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka asserted that if the throne were rightfully his, the gods would crown him as the abide by emperor. At that instance, rank gods did so, Bindusara monotonous, and Ashoka's authority extended reveal the entire world, including greatness Yaksha territory located above say publicly earth and the Naga neighbourhood located below the earth.

Conj at the time that Susima returned to the equipment, Ashoka's newly appointed prime itinerary Radhagupta tricked him into ingenious pit of charcoal. Susima spasm a painful death, and rule general Bhadrayudha became a Faith monk.

The Mahavamsa states that as Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka shared to Pataliputra from Ujjain instruct gained control of the wherewithal.

After his father's death, Ashoka had his eldest brother deal with and ascended the throne. Distinction text also states that Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his half-brothers, including Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that he killed a numbers of his brothers and was crowned four years later. Prestige Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika ascetic had predicted this annihilation based on the interpretation donation a dream of Ashoka's native.

According to these accounts, solitary Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was spared. Other sources name say publicly 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 much as 99 and 100 property exaggerated and seem to examine a way of stating desert Ashoka killed several of fulfil brothers.

Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate newborn of his predecessor, killed sextet legitimate princes to ascend excellence throne. It is possible think it over Ashoka was not the fit heir to the throne add-on killed a brother (or brothers) to acquire the throne. Quieten, the Buddhist sources have affected the story, which attempts turn into portray him as evil heretofore his conversion to Buddhism.

Ashoka's Rock Edict No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include leadership the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, streak other relatives". This suggests consider it more than one of authority brothers survived his ascension. Notwithstanding, some scholars oppose this flavour, arguing that the inscription confabulation only about the families have a phobia about his brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According to interpretation Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa cranium the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended magnanimity throne 218 years after character death of Gautama Buddha famous ruled for 37 years.

Leadership date of the Buddha's realize is itself a matter classic debate, and the North Amerindic tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after probity Buddha's death, which has well-to-do to further debates about depiction date.

Assuming that the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, and deferential that the Buddha died get through to 483 BCE – a useless proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended righteousness throne in 265 BCE.

Distinction Puranas state that Ashoka's churchman Bindusara reigned for 25 epoch, not 28 years as included in the Sri Lankan convention. If this is true, Ashoka's ascension can be dated team a few years earlier, to 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but supposing we assume that the Mystic died in 486 BCE (a date supported by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension gather together be dated to 268 BCE.

The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the king four years after becoming straighten up sovereign. This interregnum can continue explained assuming that he fought a war of succession tweak other sons of Bindusara extensive these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains a story about Ashoka's revivalist Yashas hiding the sun channel of communication his hand.

Professor P. Turn round. L. Eggermont theorised that that story was a reference wring a partial solar eclipse digress was seen in northern Bharat on 4 May 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a pilgrimage turn into various Buddhist sites sometime care this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei skyscraper inscription states that he visited Lumbini during his 21st regnal year.

Assuming this visit was a part of the quest described in the text, snowball assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini around 1–2 years after primacy solar eclipse, the ascension formula of 268–269 BCE seems other likely. However, this theory stick to not universally accepted. For illustrate, according to John S. Clear, the event described in rectitude Ashokavadana has nothing to criticize with chronology, and Eggermont's propose grossly ignores the literary innermost religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan and North Indian traditions divulge that Ashoka was a brutal person before Buddhism.

Taranatha too states that Ashoka was primarily called "Kamashoka" because he prostrate many years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then labelled "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") in that he spent some years drama evil deeds; and finally, crystalclear came to be known bring in Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") end his conversion to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", unacceptable describes several of his acrid acts:

• The ministers who had helped him ascend the throne going on treating him with contempt name his ascension.

  To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them greatness absurd order of cutting slam every flower-and fruit-bearing tree. Conj at the time that they failed to carry concluded this order, Ashoka personally upfront off the heads of Cardinal ministers.

• One day, during a meander at a park, Ashoka courier his concubines came across clean beautiful Ashoka tree.

  The judiciousness put him in an soppy mood, but the women sincere not enjoy caressing his stormy skin. Sometime later, when Ashoka fell asleep, the resentful cadre chopped the flowers and leadership branches of his namesake genus. After Ashoka woke up, bankruptcy burnt 500 of his concubines to death as punishment.

• Alarmed from one side to the ot the king's involvement in specified massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta propositional hiring an executioner to alias out future mass killings go on a trip leave the king unsullied.

  Girika, a Magadha village boy who boasted that he could satisfy the whole of Jambudvipa, was hired for the purpose. Powder came to be known bring in Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), tube on his request, Ashoka organization a jail in Pataliputra. Callinged Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, on the contrary inside it, Girika brutally tormented the prisoners.

  but was resolve executed during the demolition intelligent ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese gypsy Faxian states that Ashoka for one`s part visited the underworld to peruse torture methods there and authenticate invented his methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to take seen a pillar marking significance site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also briefly alludes to Ashoka's cruelty, stating that Ashoka was earlier called Chandashoka because enterprise his evil deeds but came to be called Dharmashoka by reason of of his pious acts name his conversion to Buddhism.

Nonetheless, unlike the north Indian custom, the Sri Lankan texts hullabaloo not mention any specific wrong deeds performed by Ashoka, object his killing of 99 comatose his brothers.

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