The Mauryan Empire was a golden age of India, though it was also a time of great violence. The first king, Chandragupta, believed in absolute power over his conquered people and expanded the empire through a huge army. His grandson, King Asoka, had a bloody battle at Kalinga where over 100,000 people died, which led him to convert to Buddhism and become a more tolerant ruler. Asoka encouraged the spread of Buddhism throughout India and beyond during his reign over the vast Mauryan Empire.