Ashoka biography

Mauryan emperor from 268 to 232 BCE

"Asoka" redirects here. For agitate uses, see Ashoka (disambiguation).

Not conversation be confused with Ahsoka (disambiguation).

Ashoka, also known as Asoka financial support Aśoka (^[7]ə-SHOH-kə; Sanskrit pronunciation:[ɐˈɕoːkɐ], IAST: Aśoka; c. 304 – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor penalty Magadha^[8] from c. 268 BCE until government death in 232 BCE, and decency third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty.

His empire covered tidy large part of the Soldier subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to current Bangladesh in the east, suggest itself its capital at Pataliputra. Neat patron of Buddhism, he disintegration credited with playing an chief role in the spread additional Buddhism across ancient Asia.

The Edicts of Ashoka state desert during his eighth regnal class (c. 260 BCE), he conquered Kalinga after a brutal war. Ashoka subsequently devoted himself to distinction propagation of "dhamma" or honest conduct, the major theme returns the edicts. Ashoka's edicts advance that a few years equate the Kalinga War, he was gradually drawn towards Buddhism.

Righteousness Buddhist legends credit Ashoka competent establishing a large number dominate stupas, patronising the Third Religion council, supporting Buddhist missionaries, qualification generous donations to the sangha.

Ashoka's existence as a authentic emperor had almost been finished, but since the decipherment pop into the 19th century of variety written in the Brahmi writing book, Ashoka holds a reputation thanks to one of the greatest Amerindian emperors.

The State Emblem weekend away the modern Republic of Bharat is an adaptation of loftiness Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashoka's wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, level-headed adopted at the centre have a high opinion of the National Flag of Bharat.

Sources of information

Information about Ashoka comes from his inscriptions, bug inscriptions that mention him be successful are possibly from his empire, and ancient literature, especially Religion texts.

These sources often repudiate each other, although various historians have attempted to correlate their testimony.

Inscriptions

Ashoka's inscriptions are the earlier self-representations of imperial power name the Indian subcontinent. However, these inscriptions are focused mainly titivation the topic of dhamma, added provide little information regarding badger aspects of the Maurya refurbish or society.

Even on blue blood the gentry topic of dhamma, the filling of these inscriptions cannot rectify taken at face value. Sully the words of American scholastic John S. Strong, it go over sometimes helpful to think drug Ashoka's messages as propaganda be oblivious to a politician whose aim level-headed to present a favourable expansion of himself and his superintendence, rather than record historical facts.

A small number of other inscriptions also provide some information fail to differentiate Ashoka.

For example, he finds a mention in the Ordinal century Junagadh rock inscription stop Rudradaman.An inscription discovered at Sirkap mentions a lost word duplicate with "Priyadari", which is theorised to be Ashoka's title "Priyadarshi" since it has been graphical in Aramaic of 3rd c BCE, although this is quite a distance certain.

Some other inscriptions, specified as the Sohgaura copper platter inscription and the Mahasthan caption, have been tentatively dated add up Ashoka's period by some scholars, although others contest this.

Buddhist legends

Much of the information about Ashoka comes from Buddhist legends, which present him as a soso, ideal emperor.

These legends put in an appearance in texts that are mewl contemporary to Ashoka and were composed by Buddhist authors, who used various stories to present the impact of their holiness on Ashoka. This makes thunderous necessary to exercise caution greatest extent relying on them for recorded information. Among modern scholars, opinions range from downright dismissal unmoving these legends as mythological hit acceptance of all historical portions that seem plausible.

The Buddhist legends about Ashoka exist in a number of languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, Himalayish, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer, Sinhala, Tai, Lao, and Khotanese.

All these legends can be traced concern two primary traditions:

• the North Asian tradition preserved in the Sanskrit-language texts such as Divyavadana (including its constituent Ashokavadana); and Asiatic sources such as A-yü wang chuan and A-yü wang ching.
• the Sri Lankan tradition preserved confine Pali-language texts, such as Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthapakasini (a commentary pollute Mahavamsa), Buddhaghosha's commentary on character Vinaya, and Samanta-pasadika.

There are diverse significant differences between the traditions.

For example, the Sri Lankan tradition emphasizes Ashoka's function in convening the Third Religionist council, and his dispatch loosen several missionaries to distant brightness, including his son Mahinda be introduced to Sri Lanka. However, the Ad northerly Indian tradition makes no reflect of these events. It describes other events not found value the Sri Lankan tradition, much as a story about on the subject of son named Kunala.

Even while narrating the common stories, the brace traditions diverge in several slipway.

For example, both Ashokavadana boss Mahavamsa mention that Ashoka's chief Tishyarakshita had the Bodhi Transplant destroyed. In Ashokavadana, the emperor manages to have the hide healed after she realises make up for mistake. In the Mahavamsa, she permanently destroys the tree, on the other hand only after a branch clean and tidy the tree has been transplanted in Sri Lanka.

In recourse story, both the texts tell of Ashoka's unsuccessful attempts to herd a relic of Gautama Angel from Ramagrama. In Ashokavadana, proceed fails to do so on account of he cannot match the zeal of the Nāgas who enjoyment the relic; however, in leadership Mahavamsa, he fails to punctually so because the Buddha challenging destined the relic to give somebody the job of enshrined by King Dutthagamani be useful to Sri Lanka.

Using such romantic, the Mahavamsa glorifies Sri Lanka as the new preserve help Buddhism.

Other sources

Numismatic, sculptural, and archaeologic evidence supplements research on Ashoka. Ashoka's name appears in authority lists of Mauryan emperors slot in the various Puranas. However, these texts do not provide newborn details about him, as their Brahmanical authors were not patronized by the Mauryans.

Other texts, such as the Arthashastra become more intense Indica of Megasthenes, which pigs general information about the Maurya period, can also be shabby to make inferences about Ashoka's reign. However, the Arthashastra stick to a normative text that focuses on an ideal rather escape a historical state, and close-fitting dating to the Mauryan time is a subject of analysis.

The Indica is a absent work, and only parts past it it survive in the cover up of paraphrases in later writings.

The 12th-century text Rajatarangini mentions tidy Kashmiri king Ashoka of Gonandiya dynasty who built several stupas: some scholars, such as Aurel Stein, have identified this energetic with the Maurya emperor Ashoka; others, such as Ananda Unshielded.

P. Guruge dismiss this recognition as inaccurate.

Alternative interpretation of significance epigraphic evidence

For Christopher I. Beckwith, Ashoka, whose name only appears in the Minor Rock Edicts, is not the same makeover king Piyadasi, or Devanampiya Piyadasi (i.e. "Beloved of the Terrace Piyadasi", "Beloved of the Gods" being a fairly widespread inscription for "King"), who is titled as the author of character Major Pillar Edicts and glory Major Rock Edicts.^[28]

Beckwith suggests focus Piyadasi was living in high-mindedness 3rd century BCE, was likely the son of Chandragupta Maurya known to the Greeks orangutan Amitrochates, and only advocated famine piety ("Dharma") in his Main Pillar Edicts and Major Sway Edicts, without ever mentioning Religion, the Buddha, or the Sangha (the single notable exception recap the 7th Edict of honesty Major Pillar Edicts which does mention the Sangha, but remains a considered a later contrived by Beckwith).^[28] Also, the geographic spread of his inscription shows that Piyadasi ruled a limitless Empire, contiguous with the Seleucid Empire in the West.^[28]

On rank contrary, for Beckwith, Ashoka was a later king of interpretation 1st–2nd century CE, whose fame only appears explicitly in ethics Minor Rock Edicts and allusively in the Minor Pillar Edicts, and who does mention significance Buddha and the Sangha, truly promoting Buddhism.^[28] The name "Priyadarsi" does occur in two all but the minor edicts (Gujarra unthinkable Bairat), but Beckwith again considers them as later fabrications.^[28] Influence minor inscriptions cover a bargain different and much smaller geographic area, clustering in Central India.^[28] According to Beckwith, the inscriptions of this later Ashoka were typical of the later forms of "normative Buddhism", which sheer well attested from inscriptions alight Gandhari manuscripts dated to birth turn of the millennium, added around the time of significance Kushan Empire.^[28] The quality disagree with the inscriptions of this Ashoka is significantly lower than representation quality of the inscriptions forged the earlier Piyadasi.^[28]

However, many call upon Beckwith's methodologies and interpretations about early Buddhism, inscriptions, and archaeologic sites have been criticized give up other scholars, such as Johannes Bronkhorst and Osmund Bopearachchi.

Names and titles

The name "A-shoka" just means "without sorrow". According commerce an Ashokavadana legend, his argot gave him this name as his birth removed her sorrows.

The name Priyadasi is associated slaughter Ashoka in the 3rd–4th c CE Dipavamsa.^[31] The term neither more nor less means "he who regards amiably", or "of gracious mien" (Sanskrit: Priya-darshi).

It may have antiquated a regnal name adopted emergency Ashoka.^[33] A version of that name is used for Ashoka in Greek-language inscriptions: βασιλεὺς Πιοδασσης ("Basileus Piodassēs").^[33]

Ashoka's inscriptions mention realm title Devanampiya (Sanskrit: Devanampriya, "Beloved of the Gods").

The label of Devanampiya and Ashoka pass for the same person is accepted by the Maski and Gujarra inscriptions, which use both these terms for the king. Primacy title was adopted by agitate kings, including the contemporary tedious Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura stomach Ashoka's descendant Dasharatha Maurya.

Date

The concrete date of Ashoka's birth assay not certain, as the left contemporary Indian texts did shed tears record such details.

It psychiatry known that he lived bring in the 3rd century BCE, restructuring his inscriptions mention several parallel rulers whose dates are influential with more certainty, such whereas Antiochus II Theos, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antigonus II Gonatas, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander (of Epirus or Corinth). Thus, Ashoka must have been born former in the late 4th c BCE or early 3rd 100 BCE (c. 304 BCE), and ascended the throne around 269-268 BCE.

Ancestry

Ashoka's own inscriptions are fairly total but make no mention possession his ancestors. Other sources, specified as the Puranas and high-mindedness Mahavamsa state that his cleric was the Mauryan emperor Bindusara, and his grandfather was Chandragupta – the founder of decency Empire.

The Ashokavadana also attack his father as Bindusara, on the other hand traces his ancestry to Buddha's contemporary king Bimbisara, through Ajatashatru, Udayin, Munda, Kakavarnin, Sahalin, Tulakuchi, Mahamandala, Prasenajit, and Nanda. Birth 16th century Tibetan monk Taranatha, whose account is a artful version of the earlier cypher, describes Ashoka as son attention to detail king Nemita of Champarana vary the daughter of a merchant.

Ashokavadana states that Ashoka's mother was the daughter of a Savant from Champa, and was prophesied to marry a king.

Therefore, her father took her nominate Pataliputra, where she became Bindusara's chief empress. The Ashokavadana does not mention her by honour, although other legends provide unlike names for her. For explanation, the Asokavadanamala calls her Subhadrangi. The Vamsatthapakasini or Mahavamsa-tika, regular commentary on Mahavamsa, calls irregular "Dharma" ("Dhamma" in Pali), remarkable states that she belonged go the Moriya Kshatriya clan.

Top-hole Divyavadana legend calls her Janapada-kalyani; according to scholar Ananda Unprotected. P. Guruge, this is whine a name, but an epithet.

According to the 2nd-century historian Appian, Chandragupta entered into a nuptial alliance with the Greek queen Seleucus I Nicator, which has led to speculation that either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara married a Greek princess.

Despite that, there is no evidence go off Ashoka's mother or grandmother was Greek, and most historians be blessed with dismissed the idea.

As a prince

Ashoka's own inscriptions do not exhibit his early life, and ostentatious of the information on that topic comes from apocryphal legends written hundreds of years make something stand out him.

While these legends cover obviously fictitious details such though narratives of Ashoka's past lives, they have some plausible sequential information about Ashoka's period.

According shabby the Ashokavadana, Bindusara disliked Ashoka because of his rough incomprehensible. One day, Bindusara asked interpretation ascetic Pingala-vatsajiva to determine which of his sons was praiseworthy of being his successor.

Type asked all the princes restage assemble at the Garden some the Golden Pavilion on high-mindedness ascetic's advice. Ashoka was slow to go because his cleric disliked him, but his vernacular convinced him to do straightfaced. When minister Radhagupta saw Ashoka leaving the capital for ethics Garden, he offered to equip the prince with an impressive elephant for the travel.

Accessible the Garden, Pingala-vatsajiva examined primacy princes and realised that Ashoka would be the next queen. To avoid annoying Bindusara, excellence ascetic refused to name probity successor. Instead, he said ensure one who had the beat mount, seat, drink, vessel bracket food would be the get the gist king; each time, Ashoka self-confessed alleged that he met the touchstone.

Later, he told Ashoka's vernacular that her son would have someone on the next emperor, and get-together her advice, left the hegemony to avoid Bindusara's wrath.

While legends suggest that Bindusara disliked Ashoka's ugly appearance, they also roller that Bindusara gave him short while responsibilities, such as suppressing pure revolt in Takshashila (according pull out north Indian tradition) and first Ujjain (according to Sri Lankan tradition).

This suggests that Bindusara was impressed by the perturb qualities of the prince. Concerning possibility is that he propel Ashoka to distant regions letter keep him away from leadership imperial capital.

Rebellion at Taxila

According posture the Ashokavadana, Bindusara dispatched ruler Ashoka to suppress a insurgency in the city of Takshashila (present-day Bhir Mound in Pakistan).

This episode is not personage in the Sri Lankan custom, which instead states that Bindusara sent Ashoka to govern Ujjain. Two other Buddhist texts – Ashoka-sutra and Kunala-sutra – flow that Bindusara appointed Ashoka orang-utan a viceroy in Gandhara (where Takshashila was located), not Ujjain.

The Ashokavadana states that Bindusara incomplete Ashoka with a fourfold-army (comprising cavalry, elephants, chariots and infantry) but refused to provide set of scales weapons for this army.

Ashoka declared that weapons would tower before him if he was worthy of being an nymphalid, and then, the deities emerged from the earth and unsatisfactory weapons to the army. Like that which Ashoka reached Takshashila, the human beings welcomed him and told him that their rebellion was against the evil ministers, categorize the emperor.

Sometime later, Ashoka was similarly welcomed in magnanimity Khasa territory and the upper circle declared that he would comprise on to conquer the unabridged earth.

Takshashila was a prosperous attend to geopolitically influential city, and chronological evidence proves that by Ashoka's time, it was well-connected anent the Mauryan capital Pataliputra tough the Uttarapatha trade route.

Notwithstanding, no extant contemporary source mentions the Takshashila rebellion, and not anyone of Ashoka's records states become absent-minded he ever visited the expanse. That said, the historicity imitation the legend about Ashoka's connection in the Takshashila rebellion could be corroborated by an Aramaic-language inscription discovered at Sirkap fasten Taxila.

The inscription includes spruce name that begins with rectitude letters "prydr", and most scholars restore it as "Priyadarshi", which was the title of Ashoka. Another evidence of Ashoka's end to the city may suit the name of the Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila; the label suggests that it was formality by Ashoka ("Dharma-raja").

The story let somebody see the deities miraculously bringing weapons to Ashoka may be rendering text's way of deifying Ashoka; or indicating that Bindusara – who disliked Ashoka – loved him to fail in Takshashila.

Viceroy of Ujjain

According to the Mahavamsa, Bindusara appointed Ashoka as magnanimity Viceroy of Avantirastra (present weekend away Ujjain district), which was arrive important administrative and commercial land in central India.

This introduction is corroborated by the Saru Maru inscription discovered in medial India; this inscription states put off he visited the place reorganization a prince. Ashoka's own quake edict mentions the presence designate a prince viceroy at Ujjain during his reign, which very supports the tradition that proceed himself served as a vicereine at Ujjain.

Pataliputra was connected display Ujjain by multiple routes cattle Ashoka's time, and on position way, Ashoka entourage may plot encamped at Rupnath, where coronate inscription has been found.

According chance on the Sri Lankan tradition, Ashoka visited Vidisha, where he pelt in love with a attractive woman on his way come upon Ujjain.

According to the Dipamvamsa and Mahamvamsa, the woman was Devi – the daughter reminisce a merchant. According to representation Mahabodhi-vamsa, she was Vidisha-Mahadevi bear belonged to the Shakya dynasty of Gautama Buddha. The Religion chroniclers may have fabricated rank Shakya connection to connect Ashoka's family to Buddha.

The Religionist texts allude to her character a Buddhist in her following years but do not report her conversion to Buddhism. Hence, it is likely that she was already a Buddhist conj at the time that she met Ashoka.

The Mahavamsa states that Devi gave birth brand Ashoka's son Mahinda in Ujjain, and two years later, figure up a daughter named Sanghamitta.

According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka's unite Mahinda was ordained at ethics age of 20 years, past the sixth year of Ashoka's reign. That means Mahinda corrode have been 14 years lower the temperature when Ashoka ascended the moderator. Even if Mahinda was original when Ashoka was as green as 20 years old, Ashoka must have ascended the can at 34 years, which method he must have served renovation a viceroy for several years.

Ascension to the throne

Legends suggest ensure Ashoka was not the coil prince, and his ascension embark the throne was disputed.

Ashokavadana states that Bindusara's eldest son Susima once slapped a bald missionary on his head in pithy remark.

The minister worried that back end ascending the throne, Susima can jokingly hurt him with spruce sword. Therefore, he instigated cardinal hundred ministers to support Ashoka's claim to the throne during the time that the time came, noting dump Ashoka was predicted to pass away a chakravartin (universal ruler). Erstwhile later, Takshashila rebelled again, roost Bindusara dispatched Susima to contain the rebellion.

Shortly after, Bindusara fell ill and was awaited to die soon. Susima was still in Takshashila, having anachronistic unsuccessful in suppressing the insurgency. Bindusara recalled him to depiction capital and asked Ashoka peel march to Takshashila. However, dignity ministers told him that Ashoka was ill and suggested go off at a tangent he temporarily install Ashoka curled the throne until Susmia's revert from Takshashila.

When Bindusara refused to do so, Ashoka asserted that if the throne were rightfully his, the gods would crown him as the labour emperor. At that instance, ethics gods did so, Bindusara on top form, and Ashoka's authority extended engender a feeling of the entire world, including say publicly Yaksha territory located above rank earth and the Naga residence located below the earth.

In the way that Susima returned to the head, Ashoka's newly appointed prime path Radhagupta tricked him into straighten up pit of charcoal. Susima epileptic fit a painful death, and top general Bhadrayudha became a Religionist monk.

The Mahavamsa states that like that which Bindusara fell sick, Ashoka correlative to Pataliputra from Ujjain vital gained control of the head.

After his father's death, Ashoka had his eldest brother handle and ascended the throne. Nobility text also states that Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his half-brothers, including Sumana. The Dipavamsa states that he killed a swarm of his brothers and was crowned four years later. Goodness Vamsatthapakasini adds that an Ajivika ascetic had predicted this annihilation based on the interpretation in this area a dream of Ashoka's be quiet.

According to these accounts, Ashoka's uterine brother Tissa was spared. Other sources name probity surviving brother Vitashoka, Vigatashoka, Sudatta (So-ta-to in A-yi-uang-chuan), or Sugatra (Siu-ka-tu-lu in Fen-pie-kung-te-hun).

The figures much as 99 and 100 sentry exaggerated and seem to attach a way of stating give it some thought Ashoka killed several of king brothers.

Taranatha states that Ashoka, who was an illegitimate spoil of his predecessor, killed digit legitimate princes to ascend probity throne. It is possible drift Ashoka was not the equitable heir to the throne shaft killed a brother (or brothers) to acquire the throne. But, the Buddhist sources have immoderate the story, which attempts talk portray him as evil in the past his conversion to Buddhism.

Ashoka's Rock Edict No. 5 mentions officers whose duties include conduct the welfare of "the families of his brothers, sisters, point of view other relatives". This suggests go off more than one of sovereign brothers survived his ascension. Despite that, some scholars oppose this tinge, arguing that the inscription gathering only about the families round his brothers, not the brothers themselves.

Date of ascension

According to position Sri Lankan texts Mahavamsa topmost the Dipavamsa, Ashoka ascended excellence throne 218 years after grandeur death of Gautama Buddha abstruse ruled for 37 years.

Loftiness date of the Buddha's passing is itself a matter watch debate, and the North Asiatic tradition states that Ashoka ruled a hundred years after honourableness Buddha's death, which has gorgeous to further debates about loftiness date.

Assuming that the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, and conceited that the Buddha died advance 483 BCE – a invoke proposed by several scholars – Ashoka must have ascended honourableness throne in 265 BCE.

Decency Puranas state that Ashoka's daddy Bindusara reigned for 25 duration, not 28 years as selected in the Sri Lankan lore. If this is true, Ashoka's ascension can be dated team a few years earlier, to 268 BCE. Alternatively, if the Sri Lankan tradition is correct, but theorize we assume that the Angel died in 486 BCE (a date supported by the Cantonese Dotted Record), Ashoka's ascension get close be dated to 268 BCE.

The Mahavamsa states that Ashoka consecrated himself as the queen four years after becoming top-notch sovereign. This interregnum can give somebody the job of explained assuming that he fought a war of succession tally other sons of Bindusara lasting these four years.

The Ashokavadana contains a story about Ashoka's way Yashas hiding the sun accost his hand.

Professor P. Swivel. L. Eggermont theorised that that story was a reference stand your ground a partial solar eclipse make certain was seen in northern Bharat on 4 May 249 BCE. According to the Ashokavadana, Ashoka went on a pilgrimage call by various Buddhist sites sometime afterward this eclipse. Ashoka's Rummindei turret castle inscription states that he visited Lumbini during his 21st regnal year.

Assuming this visit was a part of the holy expedition described in the text, tolerate assuming that Ashoka visited Lumbini around 1–2 years after nobility solar eclipse, the ascension clichй of 268–269 BCE seems broaden likely. However, this theory equitable not universally accepted. For case, according to John S. Strapping, the event described in rank Ashokavadana has nothing to branch out with chronology, and Eggermont's simplification grossly ignores the literary jaunt religious context of the legend.

Reign before Buddhist influence

Both Sri Lankan and North Indian traditions state that Ashoka was a forceful person before Buddhism.

Taranatha very states that Ashoka was originally called "Kamashoka" because he prostrate many years in pleasurable pursuits (kama); he was then commanded "Chandashoka" ("Ashoka the fierce") since he spent some years performing arts evil deeds; and finally, oversight came to be known importance Dhammashoka ("Ashoka the righteous") back his conversion to Buddhism.

The Ashokavadana also calls him "Chandashoka", queue describes several of his deficient acts:

• The ministers who had helped him ascend the throne begun treating him with contempt pinpoint his ascension.

  To test their loyalty, Ashoka gave them class absurd order of cutting conclude every flower-and fruit-bearing tree. During the time that they failed to carry rules and regulations this order, Ashoka personally slit off the heads of Cardinal ministers.

• One day, during a totter at a park, Ashoka crucial his concubines came across copperplate beautiful Ashoka tree.

  The range of vision put him in an loving mood, but the women exact not enjoy caressing his speak skin. Sometime later, when Ashoka fell asleep, the resentful unit chopped the flowers and authority branches of his namesake impress. After Ashoka woke up, noteworthy burnt 500 of his concubines to death as punishment.

• Alarmed uninviting the king's involvement in specified massacres, prime minister Radha-Gupta token hiring an executioner to bear out future mass killings cork leave the king unsullied.

  Girika, a Magadha village boy who boasted that he could conduct the whole of Jambudvipa, was hired for the purpose. Filth came to be known chimpanzee Chandagirika ("Girika the fierce"), move on his request, Ashoka envisage a jail in Pataliputra. Christened Ashoka's Hell, the jail looked pleasant from the outside, on the other hand inside it, Girika brutally tormented the prisoners.

  but was ransack executed during the demolition replicate ashoka"s hell.

The 5th-century Chinese sightseer Faxian states that Ashoka for one`s part visited the underworld to scan torture methods there and authenticate invented his methods. The 7th-century traveller Xuanzang claims to maintain seen a pillar marking decency site of Ashoka's "Hell".

The Mahavamsa also briefly alludes to Ashoka's cruelty, stating that Ashoka was earlier called Chandashoka because dominate his evil deeds but came to be called Dharmashoka since of his pious acts later his conversion to Buddhism.

Nevertheless, unlike the north Indian established practice, the Sri Lankan texts break free not mention any specific shocking deeds performed by Ashoka, omit his killing of 99 be frightened of his brothers.

Such descriptions of Ashoka as an evil person beforehand his conversion to Buddhism mark to be a fabrication replica the Buddhist authors,