Emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty
Ashoka the Great
304 BC - 232 BC
"All men are my children. What I desire for my own children, I desire for all men."
Biography
An Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent. After a particularly bloody war, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and dedicated his reign to its propagation and the establishment of a just and humane empire.
Legacy
Ashoka's Edicts, inscribed on pillars and rocks throughout his empire, are some of the earliest and most important historical records of ancient India. He is remembered as a model of a compassionate and righteous ruler.