Ashoka was the third ruler of the illustrious Maurya dynasty and was one of the most powerful kings of India in ancient times. His reign between 273 BC and 232 B.C. was one of the most prosperous periods in the history of India.

Ashoka was born to Mauryan King Bindusara and his queen Devi Dharma in 304 B.C. He was the grandson of the great Chandragupta Maurya, the founder emperor of the Maurya Dynasty

Right from his childhood days Ashoka showed great promise in the field of weaponry skills as well as academics. Ashoka’s father Bindusara, impressed with his skill and knowledge, appointed him as the Governor of Avanti.

Here he met and married Devi, the daughter of a tradesman from Vidisha. Ashoka and Devi had two children, son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra. 

After Bindusara’s death in 272 B.C Ashoka attacked Pataliputra, defeated and killed all his brothers. Among all his brothers he only spared his younger brother Vithashoka.

After he became the emperor, Ashoka launched brutal assaults to expand his empire, which lasted for around eight years. Although the Maurya Empire that he inherited was quite sizable, he expanded the borders exponentially.

His kingdom stretched from Iran-Afghanistan borders in the West to Burma in the east. He annexed the whole of Southern India except Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka). The only kingdom outside his grasp was Kalinga which is the modern day Orissa.

Ashoka launched an assault to conquer Kalinga during 265 B.C. and the battle of Kalinga became a turning point in his life. Ashoka personally led the conquest and secured victory. On his orders, the whole province was plundered, cities were destroyed and thousands of people were killed.

    The morning after the victory he went out to survey the state of things and encountered nothing except burnt houses and scattered corpses. Having been brought face to face with the consequences of war, for the first time he felt ashamed and disheartened with the brutality of his actions.