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EMPEROR ASHOKA THE GREAT
EMPEROR ASHOKA THE GREAT was the ruler of the Maurya Empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. Ashoka was the son of the Maurya Emperor Bindusara by a relatively lower ranked queen named Dharma. Dharma was said to be the daughter of a poor Brahmin who introduced her into the harem of the Emperor as it was predicted that her son would be a great ruler. He married Princess Devi and had a son Prince Mahindra and a daughter Princess Sanghamitra, who were devoted to Buddhism.After a number of military conquests, Ashoka reigned over most of South Asia and beyond, from present-day Afghanistan and parts of Persia in the west, to Bengal and Assam in the east, and as far south as Mysore. The early part of Ashoka's reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty. Ashoka was constantly on the war campaign, conquering territory after territory and significantly expanding the already large Mauryan empire and adding to his wealth. His last conquest was the state of Kalinga on the east coast of India in the present-day state of Orissa. Kalinga prided itself on its sovereignty and democracy; with its monarchical-parliamentary democracy, it was quite an exception in ancient Bharata, as there existed the concept of Rajdharma, meaning the duty of the rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with the concept of bravery and Kshatriya dharma.
A follower of Buddhism, Ashoka established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha, and according to Buddhist tradition was closely involved in the preservation and transmission of Buddhism. The name "Ashoka" means "without sorrow" in Sanskrit. In his edicts he is referred to as "Devaanaampriya" or "The Beloved Of The Gods".
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