King Ashoka began his reign by aggressively expanding his Mauryan Empire through conquest. However, after a particularly bloody battle in Kalinga where over 150,000 soldiers and civilians were killed, he was struck by the brutal consequences of war and adopted a policy of non-violence. He converted to Buddhism and sent missionaries to spread the teachings of Buddha. Ashoka built many Buddhist monuments and is remembered as a philosopher-king who established a period of peace and prosperity in India.

1. TRANSCENDENCE OF THE GREAT
EMPEROR
DEVANAMPIYA PIYADASI

2. • HE BEHEADED HIS ELDER BROTHER SUSIMA TO ASCEND THE THRONE
IN 275 BC.
• HE KILLED 99 OF HIS SIBLINGS,ALL OF WHOM WERE HIS HALF
BROTHERS.
• HIS EARLY PART OF REGIN WAS APPARENTLY QUITE BLOOD THIRSTY.
• HIS LAST BATTLE WAS A MASSIVE ONE AND CAUSED THE DEATH OF
MORE THAN 150,000 SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS.

4. PRINCE
• SUCESSOR OF EMPEROR BINDUSARA.
• AS HIS FIGHTING QUALITIES WERE APPARENT,HE WAS GIVEN ROYAL
MILITARY TRAINING.
• HE WAS ALSO AN FEARLESS HUNTER WHO KILLED A LION WITH JUST
A WOODEN ROD.
• HIS FATHERS DEATH IN 272BC LED TO WAR OF SUCESSION.
• ASCENDING THE THRONE IN 262BC,ASHOKA STARTED EXPANDING HIS
EMPIRE.

5. • ASSAM IN EAST TO BALOCHISTAN IN WEST.
• PAMIRKNOT IN NORTH TO SOUTH OF INDIA EXCEPT PRESENTDAY
TAMILNADU AND KERELA.

6. THE MAURYAN EMPIRE
WAS THE FIRST INDIAN
EMPIRE TO UNIFY THE
COUNTRY

7. KALINGA
• PRESENT DAY ODIHSA.
• CAUSING TRADE PROBLEMS TO MAURYAN EMPIRE.
• IN THE 20TH YEAR OF HIS REGIN,HE SENT A LETTER TO
RAJA ANANDA PADMANABAN KING OF KALINGA ITS
SUBMISSION ,BUT RAJA REFUSED TO SUBMIT.
• AS A RESULT WAR STARTED.
• FOR THE 1st TIME ASHOKA WAS ON THE BATTLE FIELD.
• 1,50,000 SOLDIERS WERE KILLED

8. PHILOSOPHER
• THE DAY AFTER KALINGA WAR HE VENTURED OUT TO ROAM THE CITY
AND HE COULD SEE WERE BURNT HOUSES AND SCATTERED CORPSES.
• THIS MADE HIM STABLE AND PEACEFULL EMPEROR.
• HE WAS DEEPLY INFLUENCED BY BUDDHISM.
• HE FOLLOWED A PRINCIPLE CALLED DHAMMA.
• MISSIONARIES WERE SENT TO PREACH BUDDHISM.

9. PHILANTHROPIST
• THE GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI IS THE OLDEST STONE STRUCTURE IN
INDIA.
• SARNATH LION CAPITAL.
• BARBARA CAVES HAS 4 CAVES .
• BOUGHT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN GOVERNANCE.
• PLANTED BANYAN TREES.

10. GREAT STUPA

11. SARNATH LION CAPITAL

12. BARBARA CAVES

13. DEATH AND LEGACY
• HE RULED FOR 40 YEARS
• HE DIED IN 232 BC AT THE AGE OF 72
• AFTER HID DEATH ,THE MAURYAN DYNASTY LASTED JUST 50 MORE
YEARS

14. THANK YOU