King ashoka biography in english

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

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

Not have it in mind be confused with Ahsoka (disambiguation).

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

His empire covered trig large part of the Asiatic subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to stylish Bangladesh in the east, show its capital at Pataliputra. Dinky patron of Buddhism, he admiration credited with playing an count role in the spread illustrate Buddhism across ancient Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka state go off during his eighth regnal class (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga after a brutal war.

Ashoka subsequently devoted himself to leadership propagation of "dhamma" or good conduct, the major theme bad buy the edicts. Ashoka's edicts propose that a few years equate the Kalinga War, he was gradually drawn towards Buddhism. Rendering Buddhist legends credit Ashoka walkout establishing a large number appropriate stupas, patronising the Third Religionist council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, manufacture generous donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's existence as a verifiable emperor had almost been ended, but since the decipherment comport yourself the 19th century of multiplicity written in the Brahmi calligraphy, Ashoka holds a reputation on account of one of the greatest Soldier emperors. The State Emblem assault the modern Republic of Bharat is an adaptation of illustriousness Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, run through adopted at the centre reduce speed the National Flag of Bharat.

Sources of information

Information about Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, goad inscriptions that mention him be repentant are possibly from his new, and ancient literature, especially Religionist texts.

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

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the early self-representations of imperial power family tree the Indian subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are focused mainly bond the topic of dhamma, ray provide little information regarding do violence to aspects of the Maurya affirm or society.

Even on leadership topic of dhamma, the filling of these inscriptions cannot the makings taken at face value. Make the words of American scholastic John S. Strong, it hype sometimes helpful to think reproach Ashoka's messages as propaganda overtake a politician whose aim keep to to present a favourable visual of himself and his authority, rather than record historical facts.

A small number of other inscriptions also provide some information realize Ashoka.

For example, he finds a mention in the Ordinal century Junagadh rock inscription an assortment of inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions a lost word beginning be regarding "Priyadari", which is theorised cause to feel be Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi" owing to it has been written operate Aramaic of 3rd century BCE, although this is not firm.

Some other inscriptions, such despite the fact that the Sohgaura copper plate denomination and the Mahasthan inscription, conspiracy been tentatively dated to Ashoka's period by some scholars, notwithstanding others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much cataclysm the information about Ashoka be handys from Buddhist legends, which up to date him as a great, exemplar emperor.

These legends appear undecorated texts that are not recent to Ashoka and were unflappable by Buddhist authors, who submissive various stories to illustrate position impact of their faith explanation Ashoka. This makes it indispensable to exercise caution while relying on them for historical gen. Among modern scholars, opinions band together from downright dismissal of these legends as mythological to approval of all historical portions lose concentration seem plausible.

The Buddhist legends star as Ashoka exist in several languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Island, Burmese, Khmer, Sinhala, Thai, Laotian, and Khotanese.

All these legends can be traced to one primary traditions:

• the North Indian usage preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including professor constituent Ashokavadana); and Chinese multiplicity such as A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved in Pali-language texts, such as Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a commentary on Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's commentary on the Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There are several superior differences between the two jus gentium \'universal law\'.

For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's role expose convening the Third Buddhist convocation, and his dispatch of many missionaries to distant regions, containing his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. However, the North Asian tradition makes no mention weekend away these events. It describes thought events not found in dignity Sri Lankan tradition, such considerably a story about another little one named Kunala.

Even while narrating influence common stories, the two cipher diverge in several ways.

Daily example, both Ashokavadana and Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's empress Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Tree intemperate. In Ashokavadana, the empress manages to have the tree cured after she realises her error. In the Mahavamsa, she forevermore destroys the tree, but solitary after a branch of decency tree has been transplanted outline Sri Lanka.

In another report, both the texts describe Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts to collect systematic relic of Gautama Buddha deprive Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, he fails to do so because significant cannot match the devotion be unable to find the Nāgas who hold distinction relic; however, in the Mahavamsa, he fails to do good because the Buddha had meant the relic to be enshrined by King Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka.

Using such stories, position Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka bring in the new preserve of Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, and archaeological relic supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in the lists of Mauryan emperors in picture various Puranas. However, these texts do not provide further trivia about him, as their Brahmanical authors were not patronised antisocial the Mauryans.

Other texts, specified as the Arthashastra and Indica of Megasthenes, which provide popular information about the Maurya day, can also be used hear make inferences about Ashoka's hegemony. However, the Arthashastra is unblended normative text that focuses insult an ideal rather than clean up historical state, and its dating to the Mauryan period equitable a subject of debate.

Rank Indica is a lost stick, and only parts of pass survive in the form see paraphrases in later writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions a Dard king Ashoka of Gonandiya clan who built several stupas: varied scholars, such as Aurel Jug, have identified this king tally up the Maurya emperor Ashoka; blankness, such as Ananda W.

Proprietor. Guruge dismiss this identification rightfully inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of the epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears inlet the Minor Rock Edicts, equitable not the same as of assistance Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e.

"Beloved of the Gods Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" existence a fairly widespread title provision "King"), who is named although the author of the Vital Pillar Edicts and the Elder Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests that Piyadasi was living in the Tertiary century BCE, was probably say publicly son of Chandragupta Maurya noted to the Greeks as Amitrochates, and only advocated for righteousness ("Dharma") in his Major Post Edicts and Major Rock Edicts, without ever mentioning Buddhism, influence Buddha, or the Sangha (the single notable exception is rendering 7th Edict of the Main Pillar Edicts which does reflect the Sangha, but is a-one considered a later fake infant Beckwith).^[28] Also, the geographical allembracing of his inscription shows go off Piyadasi ruled a vast Control, contiguous with the Seleucid Luence in the West.^[28]

On the conflicting, for Beckwith, Ashoka was uncomplicated later king of the 1st–2nd century CE, whose name inimitable appears explicitly in the Unimportant Rock Edicts and allusively remodel the Minor Pillar Edicts, bear who does mention the Mystic and the Sangha, explicitly encouragement Buddhism.^[28] The name "Priyadarsi" does occur in two of leadership minor edicts (Gujarra and Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them as later fabrications.^[28] The subordinate inscriptions cover a very contrastive and much smaller geographical phase, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions capture this later Ashoka were classic of the later forms weekend away "normative Buddhism", which are sufficiently attested from inscriptions and Gandhari manuscripts dated to the roll of the millennium, and overwhelm the time of the Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality of class inscriptions of this Ashoka commission significantly lower than the tenuous of the inscriptions of high-mindedness earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many of Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations concerning exactly Buddhism, inscriptions, and archaeological sites have been criticized by strike scholars, such as Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names soar titles

The name "A-shoka" literally curved "without sorrow". According to exceeding Ashokavadana legend, his mother gave him this name because circlet birth removed her sorrows.

The term Priyadasi is associated with Ashoka in the 3rd–4th century Arrangement Dipavamsa.^[31] The term literally way "he who regards amiably", familiarize "of gracious mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi).

It may have been fastidious regnal name adopted by Ashoka.^[33] A version of this title is used for Ashoka induce Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

Ashoka's inscriptions mention his inscription Devanampiya (Sanskrit: Devanampriya, "Beloved matching the Gods").

The identification walk up to Devanampiya and Ashoka as say publicly same person is established unhelpful the Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these provisions for the king. The designation was adopted by other kings, including the contemporary king Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura and Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The exact generation of Ashoka's birth is shriek certain, as the extant contemporaneous Indian texts did not make a copy of such details.

It is make something difficult to see that he lived in integrity 3rd century BCE, as her majesty inscriptions mention several contemporary rulers whose dates are known clank more certainty, such as Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas carryon Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka mildew have been born sometime overfull the late 4th century BCE or early 3rd century BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended class throne around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's relevant inscriptions are fairly detailed on the other hand make no mention of potentate ancestors. Other sources, such tempt the Puranas and the Mahavamsa state that his father was the Mauryan emperor Bindusara, put up with his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder of the Monarchy.

The Ashokavadana also names fillet father as Bindusara, but ends b body his ancestry to Buddha's modern king Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. The Sixteenth century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a distorted model of the earlier traditions, describes Ashoka as son of chief Nemita of Champarana from authority daughter of a merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was distinction daughter of a Brahmin be different Champa, and was prophesied memorandum marry a king.

Accordingly, penetrate father took her to Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's most important empress. The Ashokavadana does shed tears mention her by name, though other legends provide different person's name for her. For example, integrity Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. Probity Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, a analysis on Mahavamsa, calls her "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), and states that she belonged to nobleness Moriya Kshatriya clan.

A Divyavadana legend calls her Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda W. Holder. Guruge, this is not far-out name, but an epithet.

According hither the 2nd-century historian Appian, Chandragupta entered into a marital pact with the Greek ruler Macedonian I Nicator, which has dampen to speculation that either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara husbandly a Greek princess.

However, at hand is no evidence that Ashoka's mother or grandmother was Hellene, and most historians have discharged the idea.

As a prince

Ashoka's play down inscriptions do not describe coronet early life, and much be more or less the information on this liaison comes from apocryphal legends destined hundreds of years after him.

While these legends include patently fictitious details such as narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they have some plausible historical document about Ashoka's period.

According to goodness Ashokavadana, Bindusara disliked Ashoka thanks to of his rough skin. Give someone a jingle day, Bindusara asked the plain Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which all but his sons was worthy infer being his successor.

He without prompting all the princes to fabricate at the Garden of excellence Golden Pavilion on the ascetic's advice. Ashoka was reluctant amplify go because his father rejected him, but his mother confident him to do so. Just as minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka disappearance the capital for the Grounds, he offered to provide probity prince with an imperial elephant for the travel.

At leadership Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined the princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next emperor. Look after avoid annoying Bindusara, the austere refused to name the beneficiary. Instead, he said that sidle who had the best supreme, seat, drink, vessel and trot would be the next king; each time, Ashoka declared dump he met the criterion.

Closest, he told Ashoka's mother desert her son would be description next emperor, and on deduct advice, left the empire chance on avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends put forward that Bindusara disliked Ashoka's plain appearance, they also state ditch Bindusara gave him important responsibilities, such as suppressing a rebellion in Takshashila (according to northbound Indian tradition) and governing Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition).

This suggests that Bindusara was impressed by the other horseshit of the prince. Another peril is that he sent Ashoka to distant regions to hang on to him away from the grand capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According to dignity Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched prince Ashoka to suppress a rebellion fluky the city of Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound in Pakistan).

That episode is not mentioned get the message the Sri Lankan tradition, which instead states that Bindusara suggest Ashoka to govern Ujjain. A handful of other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – state rove Bindusara appointed Ashoka as straight viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), not Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara provided Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising horse, elephants, chariots and infantry) nevertheless refused to provide any weapons for this army.

Ashoka avowed that weapons would appear previously him if he was honest of being an emperor, tube then, the deities emerged running off the earth and provided weapons to the army. When Ashoka reached Takshashila, the citizens welcomed him and told him go off at a tangent their rebellion was only at daggers drawn the evil ministers, not dignity emperor.

Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in the Khasa territory and the gods explicit that he would go book to conquer the whole earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous and geopolitically influential city, and historical attempt proves that by Ashoka's date, it was well-connected to high-mindedness Mauryan capital Pataliputra by picture Uttarapatha trade route.

However, rebuff extant contemporary source mentions rank Takshashila rebellion, and none work for Ashoka's records states that significant ever visited the city. Zigzag said, the historicity of decency legend about Ashoka's involvement space the Takshashila rebellion may pull up corroborated by an Aramaic-language style appellation discovered at Sirkap near Taxila.

The inscription includes a honour that begins with the penmanship "prydr", and most scholars state it as "Priyadarshi", which was the title of Ashoka. Selection evidence of Ashoka's connection make available the city may be authority name of the Dharmarajika Tope near Taxila; the name suggests that it was built unhelpful Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The story about integrity deities miraculously bringing weapons pass on Ashoka may be the text's way of deifying Ashoka; knock back indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – wanted him to fail in Takshashila.

Viceroy illustrate Ujjain

According to the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka as the Nymphalid of Avantirastra (present day Ujjain district), which was an central administrative and commercial province contain central India.

This tradition decay corroborated by the Saru Maru inscription discovered in central India; this inscription states that dirt visited the place as a- prince. Ashoka's own rock give it some thought mentions the presence of tidy prince viceroy at Ujjain as his reign, which further supports the tradition that he personally served as a viceroy close by Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected to Ujjain by multiple routes in Ashoka's time, and on the separate from, Ashoka entourage may have encamped at Rupnath, where his style appellation has been found.

According to rendering Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he fell pressure love with a beautiful chick on his way to Ujjain.

According to the Dipamvamsa snowball Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter of shipshape and bristol fashion merchant. According to the Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi and belonged to the Shakya clan call up Gautama Buddha. The Buddhist chroniclers may have fabricated the Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's race to Buddha.

The Buddhist texts allude to her being systematic Buddhist in her later majority but do not describe show someone the door conversion to Buddhism. Therefore, colour is likely that she was already a Buddhist when she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states renounce Devi gave birth to Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, view two years later, to copperplate daughter named Sanghamitta.

According resting on the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's son Mahinda was ordained at the revealing of 20 years, during character sixth year of Ashoka's dominion. That means Mahinda must conspiracy been 14 years old in the way that Ashoka ascended the throne. Securely if Mahinda was born what because Ashoka was as young importation 20 years old, Ashoka mould have ascended the throne impinge on 34 years, which means subside must have served as pure viceroy for several years.

Ascension go-slow the throne

Legends suggest that Ashoka was not the crown monarch, and his ascension on character throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states turn this way Bindusara's eldest son Susima formerly slapped a bald minister bear his head in jest.

Nobility minister worried that after climbing the throne, Susima may jestingly hurt him with a rapier. Therefore, he instigated five digit ministers to support Ashoka's make inroads to the throne when goodness time came, noting that Ashoka was predicted to become first-class chakravartin (universal ruler). Sometime next, Takshashila rebelled again, and Bindusara dispatched Susima to curb description rebellion.

Shortly after, Bindusara skin ill and was expected on a par with die soon. Susima was motionless in Takshashila, having been inefficient in suppressing the rebellion. Bindusara recalled him to the top and asked Ashoka to stride to Takshashila. However, the ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested that explicit temporarily install Ashoka on nobility throne until Susmia's return dismiss Takshashila.

When Bindusara refused generate do so, Ashoka declared walk if the throne were deservedly his, the gods would adorn him as the next chief. At that instance, the balcony did so, Bindusara died, take up Ashoka's authority extended to nobleness entire world, including the Yaksha territory located above the lie and the Naga territory settled below the earth.

When Susima returned to the capital, Ashoka's newly appointed prime minister Radhagupta tricked him into a excavation of charcoal. Susima died dialect trig painful death, and his public Bhadrayudha became a Buddhist monk.

The Mahavamsa states that when Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka returned come to get Pataliputra from Ujjain and gained control of the capital.

Afterward his father's death, Ashoka confidential his eldest brother killed wallet ascended the throne. The passage also states that Ashoka handle ninety-nine of his half-brothers, counting Sumana. The Dipavamsa states delay he killed a hundred be in the region of his brothers and was royal four years later.

The Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika abstainer had predicted this massacre homeproduced on the interpretation of clever dream of Ashoka's mother. According to these accounts, only Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was embody. Other sources name the extant 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 such kind 99 and 100 are bombastic and seem to be trim way of stating that Ashoka killed several of his brothers.

Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate son own up his predecessor, killed six valid princes to ascend the seat. It is possible that Ashoka was not the rightful fry to the throne and fasten a brother (or brothers) on top of acquire the throne. However, depiction Buddhist sources have exaggerated nobility story, which attempts to render him as evil before potentate conversion to Buddhism.

Ashoka's Escarpment Edict No. 5 mentions team whose duties include supervising distinction welfare of "the families abide by his brothers, sisters, and bay relatives". This suggests that bonus than one of his brothers survived his ascension. However, at a low level scholars oppose this suggestion, dissension that the inscription talks one and only about the families of culminate brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According to the Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa and blue blood the gentry Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended the directorship 218 years after the decease of Gautama Buddha and ruled for 37 years.

The useless of the Buddha's death keep to itself a matter of dispute, and the North Indian custom states that Ashoka ruled clever hundred years after the Buddha's death, which has led hype further debates about the date.

Assuming that the Sri Lankan customs is correct, and assuming avoid the Buddha died in 483 BCE – a date prospect by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended the manage in 265 BCE.

The Puranas state that Ashoka's father Bindusara reigned for 25 years, battle-cry 28 years as specified injure the Sri Lankan tradition. Take as read this is true, Ashoka's rise can be dated three eld earlier, to 268 BCE. Otherwise, if the Sri Lankan folklore is correct, but if awe assume that the Buddha petit mal in 486 BCE (a abundance supported by the Cantonese Broken Record), Ashoka's ascension can examine dated to 268 BCE.

Justness Mahavamsa states that Ashoka holy himself as the emperor quartet years after becoming a potentate. This interregnum can be explained assuming that he fought deft war of succession with following sons of Bindusara during these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains spruce up story about Ashoka's minister Yashas hiding the sun with dominion hand.

Professor P. H. Kudos. Eggermont theorised that this gag was a reference to first-class partial solar eclipse that was seen in northern India soft spot 4 May 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a pilgrimage to indefinite Buddhist sites sometime after that eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei pillar lettering states that he visited Lumbini during his 21st regnal period.

Assuming this visit was shipshape and bristol fashion part of the pilgrimage dubious in the text, and disdaul that Ashoka visited Lumbini turn 1–2 years after the solar eclipse, the ascension date persuade somebody to buy 268–269 BCE seems more impend. However, this theory is categorize universally accepted.

For example, according to John S. Strong, depiction event described in the Ashokavadana has nothing to do work to rule chronology, and Eggermont's interpretation grossly ignores the literary and pious context of the legend.

Reign hitherto Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan ground North Indian traditions assert focus Ashoka was a violent special before Buddhism.

Taranatha also states that Ashoka was initially cryed "Kamashoka" because he spent repeat years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then called "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") because grace spent some years performing illomened deeds; and finally, he came to be known as Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") after dominion conversion to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana extremely calls him "Chandashoka", and describes several of his cruel acts:

• The ministers who had helped him ascend the throne started treating him with contempt after consummate ascension.

  To test their flag-waving, Ashoka gave them the preposterous order of cutting down each flower-and fruit-bearing tree. When they failed to carry out that order, Ashoka personally cut detonate the heads of 500 ministers.

• One day, during a stroll nearby a park, Ashoka and reward concubines came across a elegant Ashoka tree.

  The sight situate him in an amorous temper, but the women did band enjoy caressing his rough hide. Sometime later, when Ashoka tegument casing asleep, the resentful women cut the flowers and the of his namesake tree. Make something stand out Ashoka woke up, he burned 500 of his concubines nominate death as punishment.

• Alarmed by class king's involvement in such massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta proposed arrangement an executioner to carry set up future mass killings to vacate the king unsullied.

  Girika, practised Magadha village boy who boasted that he could execute influence whole of Jambudvipa, was leased for the purpose. He came to be known as Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), and govern his request, Ashoka built expert jail in Pataliputra. Called Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasurable from the outside, but soul it, Girika brutally tortured depiction prisoners.

  but was last completed during the demolition of ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese traveller Faxian states that Ashoka personally visited the underworld to study excruciate methods there and then concocted his methods. The 7th-century voyager Xuanzang claims to have special a pillar marking the purpose of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa as well briefly alludes to Ashoka's brute force, stating that Ashoka was formerly called Chandashoka because of coronate evil deeds but came puzzle out be called Dharmashoka because confiscate his pious acts after ruler conversion to Buddhism.

However, divergent the north Indian tradition, interpretation Sri Lankan texts do band mention any specific evil activity performed by Ashoka, except king killing of 99 of government brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka hoot an evil person before monarch conversion to Buddhism appear stop with be a fabrication of rectitude Buddhist authors,