First Empire
Chandragupta Maurya sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c. 340 BC, ruled c. 320 – 298 BC, was the founder of the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta succeeded in bringing together most of the Indian subcontinent. As a result, Chandragupta is considered the first unifier of India and the first genuine emperor of India.

Who Was Asoka
Asoka was the Third Mauyran King of India and is one of the greatest emperors of all time. King Asoka converted to Buddhism and initiated a sweeping moral reform. and he reigned from 273 B.C.E.-232 B.C.E and from birth he was a grandson of a famous ruler and was destined to become king.




CHILDHOOD OF ASOKA
Born in 265 B.C, the great king Asoka was the grandson of the famous ruler Chandragupta Maurya. As a young lad, Asoka excelled in whatever he was taught. Be it the art of warfare or reading the Holy Scriptures, Asoka excelled in whatever he did. Asoka had many half brothers and he was loved by one and all. Thus, after his father died, he was crowned as the king of Magadha around 268 B.C. After being crowned as the king, he proved himself by smoothly administrating his territory and performing all his duties as an able and courageous king.


REIGN OF ASOKA
King Asoka was an Indian emperor, of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled from 273 BC to 232 BC. Often cited as one of India's greatest emperors, Asoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from present-day Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of Persia in the west, to the present-day Bengal and Assam states of India in the east, and as far south as the Mysore state. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar state of India). He embraced Buddhism from the prevalent Vedic tradition after witnessing the mass deaths of the war of Kalinga, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. After a period of eight years of being a king, Asoka planned to seize the territory of Kalinga, the present day Orissa. He led a huge army and fought a gruesome battle with the army of Kalinga. The battle of Kalinga made him pledge to never wage a war again. The battle took place on the Dhauli hills that are located on the banks of River Daya. Though Asoka emerged victorious at the end, the sight of the battlefield made his heart break with shame, guilt and disgust. It is said that the battle was so furious that the waters of River Daya turned red with the blood of the slain soldiers and civilians.

ASOKA CONVERTING TO BUDDHISM
Asoka the Great was a Hindu by birth but later converted to Buddhism after the battle of Kalinga. According to legend, one day after the war was over Asoka ventured out to roam the eastern city and all he could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he cried the famous quotation, "What have I done?" Upon his return to Pataliputra, he could get no sleep and was constantly haunted by his deeds in Kalinga. The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism under the guidance of the Brahmin Buddhist sages Radhaswami and Manjushri and he used his position to propagate the relatively new philosophy to new heights, as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. When the war against Kalinga ended, Asoka's warriors had killed over 100,000 people. He was filled with sorrow. He gave up war and violence, thus becoming almost the exact opposite of his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya. He freed his prisoners and gave them back their land.


Emperor Asoka's Death and Legacy
Asoka ruled for an estimated forty years, and after his death, the Maurya dynasty lasted just fifty more years. Asoka had many wives and children, but their names are lost to time. Mahindra and Sanghamitra were twins born by his fourth wife, Devi, in the city of Ujjain. He had entrusted to them the job of making his state religion, Buddhism, more popular across the known and the unknown world. Mahindra and Sanghamitra went into Sri Lanka and converted the King, the Queen and their people to Buddhism. So they were naturally not the ones handling state affairs after him.


Learn about another Great Emperor
What Did Asoka discover in the Buddhism religion??
Learn more about rulers before Asoka
What was King Asoka previous religion about??
Great Emperors!! BUT different empires