Question

The Mauryan emperor Ashoka began his reign as a...

Answer 1

Answer: A. warrior, but he later embraced peace.

Ashoka was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost the whole Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE.

Ashoka was a conqueror, and he waged an enormous war against the state of Kalinga, which he conquered in 260 BCE. However, the extent of destruction, deaths and suffering he witnessed during this war (about 100,000 people were killed and 150,000 were displaced) impacted him greatly. Shortly afterwards, Ashoka converted to Buddhism, and he was pivotal to the spread of Buddhism in the subcontinent.

Answer 2

A. he was a conqueror and a ruthless one at that but he later embraces peace