Ashoka

Ashoka was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire whose brutal conquest of Kalinga provoked a spiritual crisis that led him to convert to Buddhism and renounce warfare. He promoted Buddhist values of nonviolence and righteousness throughout his empire through edicts inscribed on pillars and rocks, and sent missionaries as far as Greece and Sri Lanka. His reign is considered a golden age of Indian history, and his Dharma Chakra appears on the modern Indian flag.

• Nationality: indian
• Roles: ruler, religious_leader