Ashoka: The Emperor Who Gave Up War

After one of the bloodiest wars of the ancient world, Emperor Ashoka changed his path. His symbols are still on India's flag and money.

More than 2,200 years ago, one of the most powerful kings in the world won a great war, and then said he was sorry for it. His name was Ashoka.

A powerful empire

Ashoka ruled the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the empire. Ashoka's empire covered most of the Indian subcontinent.

The Kalinga war

Around 261 BCE, Ashoka attacked Kalinga, a kingdom on the east coast, in today's Odisha. He won, but the cost was terrible. In his own words, carved later on a rock, about 100,000 people were killed, 150,000 were taken away, and many more died afterwards.

A change of heart

Ashoka wrote that the suffering of Kalinga filled him with deep regret. He turned to the teachings of the Buddha and to what he called dhamma: a way of life based on kindness, honesty, respect for all religions and care for animals.

Messages on stone

Ashoka had his messages carved on rocks and tall stone pillars across his empire. Most were in Prakrit, in the Brahmi script; in the far north-west some were in Greek and Aramaic. For centuries no one could read Brahmi. In 1837, the scholar James Prinsep deciphered it, and Ashoka's voice was heard again.

Ashoka in India today

The Lion Capital from Ashoka's pillar at Sarnath is India's National Emblem, seen on Indian coins and notes. The 24-spoke wheel on India's national flag is the Ashoka Chakra.

Why it matters

Many kings have carved their victories in stone. Ashoka carved his regret. That is why, more than two thousand years later, he is still remembered around the world.