Ashoka

Ashoka conquered Kalinga, was appalled by what he had done, and spent the rest of his reign propagating non-violence. Born around 304 BC, a grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, he served as a provincial governor and, by tradition, took the throne around 268 BC after a struggle with his brothers. Around 261 BC he invaded Kalinga on the eastern coast. His own edict records the result in the first person: a hundred and fifty thousand deported, a hundred thousand killed, and many times that number dead afterwards — and states that the king felt remorse, that the suffering of the conquered weighs on him, and that he now considers conquest by dharma the only true conquest. No other ancient ruler published an account of his own conquest as a moral failure. He converted to Buddhism and had his instructions carved on rocks and on polished sandstone pillars across the subcontinent, in Prakrit, Greek and Aramaic depending on the region — the earliest deciphered Indian writing, and the earliest surviving Indian historical documents. The edicts prescribe respect for parents and teachers, generosity to ascetics of every sect, restraint in speech about other people's religions, medical provision for people and animals, wells and shade trees along roads, and restrictions on animal slaughter. They also appoint officers to oversee welfare. He sent Buddhist missions to Sri Lanka, Central Asia and the Hellenistic kingdoms. He was forgotten for two thousand years until James Prinsep deciphered the script in 1837. His lion capital is India's state emblem, and his wheel is on the flag.

• Lived: 304 BCE – 232 BCE
• Nationality: Indian
• Roles: ruler, religious_leader