| Asoka was born in 304 BC, to Mauryan Emperor | | | | In the following year, Bindusura became seriously |
| Bindusara and a relatively lower ranked queen, | | | | ill and was literally on his deathbed. A group of |
| Dharma. The legend associated with the emperor | | | | ministers, led by Radhagupta, called upon Ashoka |
| goes that his birth had been predicted by Buddha, | | | | to assume the crown. In the fight that followed |
| in the story of 'The Gift of Dust'. Buddhist | | | | his accession, Ashoka attacked Pataliputra, now |
| Emperor Ashoka had only one younger sibling, | | | | Patna, and killed all his brothers, including Susima. |
| Vitthashoka, but, several elder half-brothers. Right | | | | After he became the King, Ashoka launched |
| from his childhood days Ashoka showed great | | | | brutal assaults to expand his empire, which lasted |
| promise in the field of weaponry skills as well as | | | | for around eight years. Around this time, his |
| academics. | | | | Buddhist queen, Devi, gave birth to Prince |
| Asoka quickly grew into an excellent warrior | | | | Mahindra and Princess Sanghamitra. |
| general and an astute statesman. His command | | | | The battle of Kalinga (now Orissa) became a |
| on the Mauryan army started growing day by | | | | turning point in the life of 'Asoka the Great'. The |
| day and because of this, his elder brothers | | | | exact reason for the battle is not known. |
| became suspicious of him being favored by | | | | However, it is believed that one of Ashoka's |
| Bindusara as the next emperor. The eldest son of | | | | brothers took refuge at Kalinga and this enraged |
| Bindusara, Prince Susima, convinced him to send | | | | Asoka, who launched a brutal assault on the |
| Asoka to Takshashila province (in Sindh) to control | | | | province. The whole of the province was |
| an uprising caused by the formation of different | | | | plundered and destroyed and thousands of people |
| militias. However, the moment Ashoka reached | | | | were killed. |
| the province, the militias welcomed him with open | | | | It is said that after the battle of Kalinga was |
| arms and the uprising came to an end without | | | | over, King Asoka went on a tour of the city. He |
| any fight. This particular success of Asoka made | | | | could see nothing except burnt houses and |
| his elder brothers, especially Susima, more | | | | scattered corpses. This was the first time in his |
| insecure. | | | | life that Emperor Ashoka realized the |
| Susima started inciting Bindusara against Ashoka, | | | | consequences of wars and battles. It is said that |
| who was then sent into exile by the emperor. | | | | even after he had returned to Patliputra, he was |
| Asoka went to Kalinga, where he met a | | | | haunted by the scenes he saw in Kalinga. Even his |
| fisherwoman named Kaurwaki. He fell in love with | | | | queen, Devi, who was a Buddhist, left him after |
| her and later, made Kaurwaki his second or third | | | | seeing the brutality at Kalinga. |
| wife. Soon, the province of Ujjain started | | | | It was during this time that he embraced |
| witnessing a violent uprising. Emperor Bindusara | | | | Buddhism under the Brahmin Buddhist sages, |
| called back Ashoka from the exile and sent him | | | | Radhaswami and Manjushri. After adopting |
| to Ujjain. The prince was injured in the ensuing | | | | Buddhism, Asoka started propagating its principles |
| battle and was treated by Buddhist monks and | | | | throughout the world, even as far as ancient |
| nuns. It was in Ujjain that Asoka first came to | | | | Rome and Egypt. In fact, he can be credited with |
| know about the life and teachings of Buddha. In | | | | making the first serious attempt to develop a |
| Ujjain, he also met Devi, his personal nurse, who | | | | Buddhist policy. |
| later became his wife. | | | | |