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Ashoka was the third Mauryan emperor of Magadha and ruled from 268 to 232 BCE. He was born in 304 BCE in Pataliputra, and since he wasn't the firstborn child he had a relatively low position in the household. But, Ashoka quickly grew into a great warrior and his father decided to crown him governor of his own province. He immediately set out for battle and conquered many kingdoms.

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In eight years, he kept expanding his kingdom until his rule stretched from modern-day Iran through almost the entirety of India. Then, he went on a campaign to conquer the kingdom of Kalinga because it had many valuable ports in which trade flowed east. But after the war, Ashoka saw how many deaths had been caused. More than 100,000 people had died, and over 150,000 people had been enslaved. He was overcome with regret at how many lives were taken by him. Ashoka immediately decided that he would give up conquest and go seek a different future.

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Conquered Kalinga

Renounced war

developed the idea of dharma

promoted Buddhism and good conduct through rock edicts and sent monks to other countries to spread the teachings of Buddha

built hospitals, rest houses, and dug wells on the road for travelers

created a large network of roads that made trade between areas easier

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I would rate Ashoka a 8/10 for all the hard work that he did. He built many rock edicts that spread Buddhism and good conduct throughout the land, and he also improved a lot of the conditions faced by travelers and traders by building rest houses and wells. But, his early life was full of warring and he ended up killing a lot of people, which he can't make up for.

Firstly, Ashoka built many rock edicts throughout the lands that spread knowledge of Buddhism, moral and religious conducts, as well as the journey he went on to become a Buddhist. These edicts helped many other people learn more about the Buddhist principles of living a good life. Also, Ashoka's journey to enlightenment inspired many others to do the same.

Next, Ashoka improved many of the conditions for travelers and traders in the land. He built a large network of roads that not only helped traders in the area, but also increased communication and transportation methods for the Mauryan Empire, which further benefited them.

Lastly, although Ashoka made many improvements to the Mauryan Empire, the constant wars he engaged in his early life had a heavy impact. In his bloodiest war where he tried to conquer Kalinga, Ashoka's army killed approximately 100,000 people and over 150,000 were taken prisoner.

In conclusion, I would rate Ashoka a 8/10 because he did many good deeds in his life, but his early days caused many deaths and lots of misery that cannot be made up for.

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The Ashoka Chakra is on the Indian flag because it symbolizes Ashoka's dedication to the principles of Dharma, or righteousness. Its 24 spokes are thought to represent the 24 hours in a day, symbolizing that the country should be in action all the time.

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In Sanskrit, Ashoka means "without sorrow."

Ashoka's grandfather was the founder of the Maurya Dynasty

One of Ashoka's nicknames was "Chandashoka."

Ashoka had two children: A son named Mahendra and a daughter named Sanghamitra.

Ashoka had an army of 600,000 infantry, 130,000 cavalry and 9,000 elephants

Once he started spreading Buddhism, Ashoka was named "Dharma Mahapatra."

Accounts have stated that Ashoka killed his ninety-nine brothers to get the throne.

Ashoka had thirty-three edicts built in his reign

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Ashoka was a king who was known for his vast army and huge amount of power. He used this to his advantage to overpower many other smaller territories. Also, he was the king of the Mauryan Empire, which was already extremely powerful at the time. So, Ashoka was an extremely powerful king.

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A picture of how the Kalinga War was thought to have been like

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Although Ashoka did many horrible things in his early life, when he turned 41 he switched to Buddhism and tried to make things right. He improved living conditions for travelers and traders in many ways, and Ashoka also built rock edicts that spread messages of good conduct and the ways of Buddhism. Because of these reasons, I consider Ashoka a hero.

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Sen, Amulya Chandra. "Ashoka: Emperor of India." Britannica Student, Amulya
Chandra Sen, 16 Apr. 2024. Accessed 14 May 2024.

Mark, Joshua J. "Ashoka the Great." World History Encyclopedia, 24 June 2020,
www.worldhistory.org/Ashoka_the_Great/. Accessed 14 May 2024.