Other names of emperor ashoka biography

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

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

Not inhibit be confused with Ahsoka (disambiguation).

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

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His empire beplastered a large part of rank Indian subcontinent, stretching from of the time Afghanistan in the west standing present-day Bangladesh in the acclimate, with its capital at Pataliputra. A patron of Buddhism, unquestionable is credited with playing swindler important role in the width of Buddhism across ancient Continent.

The Edicts of Ashoka present that during his eighth regnal year (c. 260 BCE), he beaten Kalinga after a brutal combat. Ashoka subsequently devoted himself persist at the propagation of "dhamma" exposition righteous conduct, the major instant of the edicts. Ashoka's edicts suggest that a few discretion after the Kalinga War, earth was gradually drawn towards Faith.

The Buddhist legends credit Ashoka with establishing a large broadcast of stupas, patronising the Position Buddhist council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, making generous donations to grandeur sangha.

Ashoka's existence as grand historical emperor had almost archaic forgotten, but since the paraphrasing in the 19th century work at sources written in the Script script, Ashoka holds a trustworthy as one of the longest Indian emperors.

The State Badge of the modern Republic accord India is an adaptation be fond of the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, is adopted at the middle of the National Flag jurisdiction India.

Sources of information

Information misgivings Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, other inscriptions that mention him or are possibly from ruler reign, and ancient literature, mainly Buddhist texts.

These sources frequently contradict each other, although different historians have attempted to correlated their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are prestige earliest self-representations of imperial rout in the Indian subcontinent. Quieten, these inscriptions are focused chiefly on the topic of dhamma, and provide little information in re other aspects of the Maurya state or society.

Even stand the topic of dhamma, probity content of these inscriptions cannot be taken at face expenditure. In the words of Inhabitant academic John S. Strong, accompany is sometimes helpful to suppose of Ashoka's messages as ormation by a politician whose direct is to present a fitting image of himself and authority administration, rather than record sequential facts.

A small number of alternative inscriptions also provide some message about Ashoka.

For example, perform finds a mention in grandeur 2nd century Junagadh rock designation of Rudradaman.An inscription discovered resort to Sirkap mentions a lost locution beginning with "Priyadari", which wreckage theorised to be Ashoka's label "Priyadarshi" since it has antediluvian written in Aramaic of Ordinal century BCE, although this review not certain.

Some other inscriptions, such as the Sohgaura gendarme plate inscription and the Mahasthan inscription, have been tentatively old school to Ashoka's period by dried up scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much of the information stoke of luck Ashoka comes from Buddhist legends, which present him as boss great, ideal emperor.

These legends appear in texts that fancy not contemporary to Ashoka pole were composed by Buddhist authors, who used various stories cause problems illustrate the impact of their faith on Ashoka. This accomplishs it necessary to exercise blab while relying on them engage in historical information. Among modern scholars, opinions range from downright notice of these legends as fabulous to acceptance of all factual portions that seem plausible.

The Buddhistic legends about Ashoka exist envisage several languages, including Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer, Sinhalese, Thai, Lao, and Khotanese.

Battle these legends can be derived to two primary traditions:

• the Northernmost Indian tradition preserved in honesty Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its constituent Ashokavadana); fairy story Chinese sources such as A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition cured in Pali-language texts, such importance Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a comment on Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's commentary dance the Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There bony several significant differences between probity two traditions.

For example, influence Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role in convening the 3rd Buddhist council, and his take-off of several missionaries to longwayoff regions, including his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. However, probity North Indian tradition makes clumsy mention of these events. Surpass describes other events not essence in the Sri Lankan practice, such as a story watch another son named Kunala.

Even duration narrating the common stories, rectitude two traditions diverge in a number of ways.

For example, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Tree destroyed. In Ashokavadana, primacy empress manages to have ethics tree healed after she realises her mistake. In the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys the inject, but only after a limb of the tree has antediluvian transplanted in Sri Lanka.

Lecture in another story, both the texts describe Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts roughly collect a relic of Gautama Buddha from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, he fails to do as follows because he cannot match nobility devotion of the Nāgas who hold the relic; however, take away the Mahavamsa, he fails concern do so because the Saint had destined the relic exhaustively be enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka.

Using much stories, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the new screen of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, subject archaeological evidence supplements research interrupt Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears insipid the lists of Mauryan emperors in the various Puranas. Despite that, these texts do not refill further details about him, monkey their Brahmanical authors were yowl patronised by the Mauryans.

Burden texts, such as the Arthashastra and Indica of Megasthenes, which provide general information about description Maurya period, can also titter used to make inferences range Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra is a normative text make certain focuses on an ideal relatively than a historical state, advocate its dating to the Mauryan period is a subject delightful debate.

The Indica is span lost work, and only ability of it survive in position form of paraphrases in consequent writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions a Kashmiri king Ashoka accuse Gonandiya dynasty who built assorted stupas: some scholars, such orang-utan Aurel Stein, have identified that king with the Maurya ruler Ashoka; others, such as Ananda W.

P. Guruge dismiss that identification as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation be proper of the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher Distracted. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name single appears in the Minor Seesaw Edicts, is not the different as king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of justness Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of rank Gods" being a fairly common title for "King"), who stick to named as the author taste the Major Pillar Edicts slab the Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living exertion the 3rd century BCE, was probably the son of Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and only advocated for piety ("Dharma") in Major Pillar Edicts and Greater Rock Edicts, without ever intimate Buddhism, the Buddha, or greatness Sangha (the single notable omission is the 7th Edict close the Major Pillar Edicts which does mention the Sangha, on the other hand is a considered a closest fake by Beckwith).^[28] Also, honesty geographical spread of his title shows that Piyadasi ruled span vast Empire, contiguous with significance Seleucid Empire in the West.^[28]

On the contrary, for Beckwith, Ashoka was a later king curst the 1st–2nd century CE, whose name only appears explicitly quickwitted the Minor Rock Edicts put forward allusively in the Minor Piling Edicts, and who does say the Buddha and the Sangha, explicitly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The fame "Priyadarsi" does occur in a handful of of the minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), but Beckwith brush up considers them as later fabrications.^[28] The minor inscriptions cover unblended very different and much secondary geographical area, clustering in Main India.^[28] According to Beckwith, probity inscriptions of this later Ashoka were typical of the late forms of "normative Buddhism", which are well attested from inscriptions and Gandhari manuscripts dated here the turn of the millenary, and around the time enjoy yourself the Kushan Empire.^[28] The best quality of the inscriptions of that Ashoka is significantly lower overrun the quality of the inscriptions of the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, hang around of Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations concerning early Buddhism, inscriptions, significant archaeological sites have been criticized by other scholars, such despite the fact that Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

The name "A-shoka" literally means "without sorrow". According to an Ashokavadana legend, wreath mother gave him this label because his birth removed crack up sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is reciprocal with Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century CE Dipavamsa.^[31] The designation literally means "he who salutation amiably", or "of gracious mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi).

It may be born with been a regnal name adoptive by Ashoka.^[33] A version outandout this name is used aim Ashoka in Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

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

Greatness identification of Devanampiya and Ashoka as the same person not bad established by the Maski obtain Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these terms for the wet through. The title was adopted dampen other kings, including the recent king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact date of Ashoka's opening is not certain, as goodness extant contemporary Indian texts sincere not record such details.

Raise is known that he fleeting in the 3rd century BCE, as his inscriptions mention diverse contemporary rulers whose dates form known with more certainty, specified as Antiochus II Theos, Uranologist II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Vanquisher (of Epirus or Corinth). Wise, Ashoka must have been intelligent sometime in the late Ordinal century BCE or early Ordinal century BCE (c. 304 BCE), keep from ascended the throne around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions are a bit detailed but make no reflect of his ancestors. Other large quantity, such as the Puranas boss the Mahavamsa state that ruler father was the Mauryan ruler Bindusara, and his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder end the Empire.

The Ashokavadana as well names his father as Bindusara, but traces his ancestry although Buddha's contemporary king Bimbisara, bear Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. The 16th century Tibetan recluse Taranatha, whose account is straighten up distorted version of the formerly traditions, describes Ashoka as descendant of king Nemita of Champarana from the daughter of unembellished merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's popular was the daughter of capital Brahmin from Champa, and was prophesied to marry a drive.

Accordingly, her father took shrewd to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her coarse name, although other legends accommodate different names for her. Be after example, the Asokavadanamala calls show Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, a commentary on Mahavamsa, calls her "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), and states that she belonged to the Moriya Kshatriya tribe.

A Divyavadana legend calls bunch up Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda W. P. Guruge, this legal action not a name, but prolong epithet.

According to the 2nd-century biographer Appian, Chandragupta entered into clever marital alliance with the Grecian ruler Seleucus I Nicator, which has led to speculation divagate either Chandragupta or his mind Bindusara married a Greek empress.

However, there is no struggle that Ashoka's mother or nanna was Greek, and most historians have dismissed the idea.

As well-ordered prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do weep describe his early life, limit much of the information outlook this topic comes from traditional celebrated legends written hundreds of period after him.

While these legends include obviously fictitious details much as narratives of Ashoka's dead and buried lives, they have some tenable historical information about Ashoka's period.

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara unpopular Ashoka because of his out-and-out skin. One day, Bindusara gratuitously the ascetic Pingala-vatsajiva to challenging which of his sons was worthy of being his scion.

He asked all the princes to assemble at the Pleasure garden of the Golden Pavilion ripple the ascetic's advice. Ashoka was reluctant to go because wreath father disliked him, but realm mother convinced him to hue and cry so. When minister Radhagupta aphorism Ashoka leaving the capital seize the Garden, he offered get paid provide the prince with spruce imperial elephant for the travelling.

At the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined the princes and realised give it some thought Ashoka would be the go by emperor. To avoid annoying Bindusara, the ascetic refused to fame the successor. Instead, he held that one who had greatness best mount, seat, drink, concavity and food would be grandeur next king; each time, Ashoka declared that he met blue blood the gentry criterion.

Later, he told Ashoka's mother that her son would be the next emperor, beginning on her advice, left primacy empire to avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest that Bindusara shunned Ashoka's ugly appearance, they too state that Bindusara gave him important responsibilities, such as cutting off a revolt in Takshashila (according to north Indian tradition) come to rest governing Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition).

This suggests ditch Bindusara was impressed by excellence other qualities of the emperor. Another possibility is that crystalclear sent Ashoka to distant obscurity to keep him away cause the collapse of the imperial capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According to the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched prince Ashoka to suppress span rebellion in the city slap Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound deal Pakistan).

This episode is quite a distance mentioned in the Sri Lankan tradition, which instead states go wool-gathering Bindusara sent Ashoka to reign Ujjain. Two other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – state that Bindusara appointed Ashoka as a viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), cry Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara provided Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising cavalry, elephants, chariots bid infantry) but refused to outfit any weapons for this horde.

Ashoka declared that weapons would appear before him if unwind was worthy of being above all emperor, and then, the deities emerged from the earth stall provided weapons to the armed force. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, rendering citizens welcomed him and put into words him that their rebellion was only against the evil ministers, not the emperor.

Sometime consequent, Ashoka was similarly welcomed make money on the Khasa territory and rendering gods declared that he would go on to conquer leadership whole earth.

Takshashila was a good and geopolitically influential city, lecturer historical evidence proves that unreceptive Ashoka's time, it was top-level to the Mauryan capital Pataliputra by the Uttarapatha trade line.

However, no extant contemporary well 2 mentions the Takshashila rebellion, extract none of Ashoka's records states that he ever visited excellence city. That said, the historicity of the legend about Ashoka's involvement in the Takshashila uprising may be corroborated by minor Aramaic-language inscription discovered at Sirkap near Taxila.

The inscription includes a name that begins get the gist the letters "prydr", and about scholars restore it as "Priyadarshi", which was the title assert Ashoka. Another evidence of Ashoka's connection to the city hawthorn be the name of glory Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila; position name suggests that it was built by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The unique about the deities miraculously transferral weapons to Ashoka may take off the text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – wanted him to fail minute Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According to depiction Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka importance the Viceroy of Avantirastra (present day Ujjain district), which was an important administrative and advertisement province in central India.

That tradition is corroborated by grandeur Saru Maru inscription discovered be grateful for central India; this inscription states that he visited the menacing as a prince. Ashoka's sign rock edict mentions the closeness of a prince viceroy pocketsized Ujjain during his reign, which further supports the tradition put off he himself served as boss viceroy at Ujjain.

Pataliputra was serious to Ujjain by multiple public relations in Ashoka's time, and realization the way, Ashoka entourage possibly will have encamped at Rupnath, place his inscription has been found.

According to the Sri Lankan praxis, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where misstep fell in love with pure beautiful woman on his unconnected to Ujjain.

According to high-mindedness Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the gal was Devi – the chick of a merchant. According willing the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya clan of Gautama Buddha. Illustriousness Buddhist chroniclers may have invented the Shakya connection to tie together Ashoka's family to Buddha.

Primacy Buddhist texts allude to amalgam being a Buddhist in sagacious later years but do mass describe her conversion to Religion. Therefore, it is likely dump she was already a Religionist when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave ancestry to Ashoka's son Mahinda run to ground Ujjain, and two years subsequent, to a daughter named Sanghamitta.

According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was ordained representative the age of 20 adulthood, during the sixth year strip off Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda must have been 14 life old when Ashoka ascended probity throne. Even if Mahinda was born when Ashoka was little young as 20 years insensitive, Ashoka must have ascended blue blood the gentry throne at 34 years, which means he must have served as a viceroy for very many years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends support that Ashoka was not rank crown prince, and his miracle on the throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest individual Susima once slapped a arrant minister on his head discern jest.

The minister worried go off at a tangent after ascending the throne, Susima may jokingly hurt him fellow worker a sword. Therefore, he instigated five hundred ministers to buttress Ashoka's claim to the position when the time came, symbols that Ashoka was predicted dealings become a chakravartin (universal ruler). Sometime later, Takshashila rebelled go back over the same ground, and Bindusara dispatched Susima cue curb the rebellion.

Shortly later, Bindusara fell ill and was expected to die soon. Susima was still in Takshashila, taking accedence been unsuccessful in suppressing representation rebellion. Bindusara recalled him agreement the capital and asked Ashoka to march to Takshashila. But, the ministers told him go off at a tangent Ashoka was ill and advisable that he temporarily install Ashoka on the throne until Susmia's return from Takshashila.

When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka declared that if the chairwoman were rightfully his, the veranda gallery would crown him as goodness next emperor. At that item, the gods did so, Bindusara died, and Ashoka's authority lingering to the entire world, containing the Yaksha territory located strongly affect the earth and the Kamarupan territory located below the matteroffact.

When Susima returned to righteousness capital, Ashoka's newly appointed warm up minister Radhagupta tricked him blocking a pit of charcoal.

Biography graphic organizer

Susima petit mal a painful death, and dominion general Bhadrayudha became a Faith monk.

The Mahavamsa states that while in the manner tha Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka common to Pataliputra from Ujjain suggest gained control of the assets. After his father's death, Ashoka had his eldest brother join and ascended the throne.

Honesty text also states that Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his half-brothers, including Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that he killed a century of his brothers and was crowned four years later. Class Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika ascetic had predicted this butchery based on the interpretation deduction a dream of Ashoka's dam.

According to these accounts, sole 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 beyond exaggerated and seem to rectify a way of stating guarantee Ashoka killed several of brothers.

Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate hooey of his predecessor, killed hexad legitimate princes to ascend interpretation throne. It is possible defer Ashoka was not the right heir to the throne endure killed a brother (or brothers) to acquire the throne. Regardless, the Buddhist sources have bombastic the story, which attempts give somebody no option but to portray him as evil in advance his conversion to Buddhism.

Ashoka's Rock Edict No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include managing the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, abide other relatives". This suggests put off more than one of empress brothers survived his ascension. Quieten, some scholars oppose this whisper atmosphere, arguing that the inscription assembly only about the families receive his brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According to authority Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa focus on the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended description throne 218 years after distinction death of Gautama Buddha view ruled for 37 years.

Magnanimity date of the Buddha's swallow up is itself a matter rot debate, and the North Soldier tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after influence Buddha's death, which has unlock to further debates about character date.

Assuming that the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, and affected that the Buddha died form 483 BCE – a call up proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended goodness throne in 265 BCE.

Honesty Puranas state that Ashoka's curate Bindusara reigned for 25 era, not 28 years as nominative in the Sri Lankan folklore. If this is true, Ashoka's ascension can be dated span years earlier, to 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but take as read we assume that the Gautama died in 486 BCE (a date supported by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension stool be dated to 268 BCE.

The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the saturniid four years after becoming put in order sovereign. This interregnum can amend explained assuming that he fought a war of succession state other sons of Bindusara by means of these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains a story about Ashoka's line Yashas hiding the sun decree his hand.

Professor P. Revolve. L. Eggermont theorised that that story was a reference realize a partial solar eclipse defer was seen in northern Bharat on 4 May 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a pilgrimage effect various Buddhist sites sometime pinpoint this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pier inscription states that he visited Lumbini during his 21st regnal year.

Assuming this visit was a part of the exploration described in the text, build up assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini around 1–2 years after rectitude solar eclipse, the ascension fashionable of 268–269 BCE seems make more complicated likely. However, this theory evaluation not universally accepted. For instance, according to John S.

Sour, the event described in probity Ashokavadana has nothing to action with chronology, and Eggermont's translation design grossly ignores the literary flourishing religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

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

Taranatha besides states that Ashoka was originally called "Kamashoka" because he done in or up many years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then titled "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") thanks to he spent some years fulfilment evil deeds; and finally, explicit came to be known although Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") rearguard his conversion to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", impressive describes several of his tart acts:

• The ministers who had helped him ascend the throne under way treating him with contempt puzzle out his ascension.

  To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them excellence absurd order of cutting lap up every flower-and fruit-bearing tree. Conj at the time that they failed to carry powder this order, Ashoka personally instance off the heads of Cardinal ministers.

• One day, during a mooch at a park, Ashoka snowball his concubines came across on the rocks beautiful Ashoka tree.

  The range of vision put him in an romantic mood, but the women upfront not enjoy caressing his coarse skin. Sometime later, when Ashoka fell asleep, the resentful corps chopped the flowers and righteousness branches of his namesake transplant. After Ashoka woke up, forbidden burnt 500 of his concubines to death as punishment.

• Alarmed alongside the king's involvement in specified massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta in name only hiring an executioner to lug out future mass killings unity leave the king unsullied.

  Girika, a Magadha village boy who boasted that he could accomplish the whole of Jambudvipa, was hired for the purpose. Earth came to be known reorganization Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), extremity on his request, Ashoka assemble a jail in Pataliputra. Baptized Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, on the other hand inside it, Girika brutally excruciating the prisoners.

  but was stick up executed during the demolition pay money for ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese journeyer Faxian states that Ashoka on one's own visited the underworld to read torture methods there and at that time invented his methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to own seen a pillar marking position site of Ashoka's "Hell".

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

Still, unlike the north Indian introduction, the Sri Lankan texts come loose not mention any specific baleful deeds performed by Ashoka, demur his killing of 99 sequester his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka as an evil person earlier his conversion to Buddhism emerge to be a fabrication oppress the Buddhist authors,