Ashoka

Timeline

1. c. -304–-272Ujjain · UjjainRaised in the royal family as a son of Bindusara, according to Buddhist texts he served as governor of Ujjain and elsewhere, was stern in character, and in his early years followed traditional Brahmanism and took part in military campaigns.
2. c. -272–-261Pataliputra · PataliputraAfter inheriting the throne he continued his father's expansionist policy, suppressed internal rebellions, launched a large-scale war of conquest against Kalinga, and extended the empire's territory to the vast majority of the Indian subcontinent.
3. c. -261–-258Kalinga · KalingaThe terrible cost of conquering Kalinga filled Ashoka with deep remorse; in his Thirteenth Edict he described the horrors of the war. Thereafter he turned to Buddhism, advocating non-violence, tolerance, and benevolent rule, a turning point in his reign.
4. c. -258–-232Pataliputra · PataliputraPresided over the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra, dispatched envoys to spread the Dharma to Sri Lanka and the Hellenistic world, and carved pillars and rock edicts throughout the empire proclaiming moral precepts, religious tolerance, and social welfare policies.