Asoka

Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Empire, son of Bindusara, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE.^[6][7] Ashoka promoted the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia. Considered by many to be one of India’s greatest emperors, Ashoka expanded Chandragupta’s empire to reign over territory stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east. It covered the entire Indian subcontinent except for parts of present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu.^[8] The empire’s capital was Pataliputra (in Magadha, present-day Patna), with provincial capitals at Takshashila (later Taxila) and Ujjain. Ashoka, after the war of Kalinga, was upset with the bloodshed and vowed to never again wage a war of conquest. He patronised Buddhism during his reign.

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About the Author(s)

Noted historian and politician, Dr. Radhakumud Mookerji, started life as Professor of History in the Bengal National College under the Principalship of the late Sri Aurobindo. Subsequently, he joined the Mysore University where he was Professor of History from 1917 to 1921. Thereafter he became Professor and Head of the Department of History in the Lucknow University and remained there for an unbroken period of twenty-five years. After retirement he continued to be Emeritus where his friends had endowed a Lectureship in his name. He was a prolific author and had to his credit 15 books on different aspects of ancient India.