Buddhism was able to spread outside India during the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka. Buddhism began to spread over the centuries, first to Southeast Asia, then to China and the rest of Asia in several ways. Buddha's teaching peacefully spread throughout Asia without any violence. Buddhism found its way to China through the Silk Route. King Ashoka sent monks to several territories to spread the teachings of the Buddha, especially in Sri Lanka. Tibet, China, Ceylon, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea were some of the countries where Buddhism was practised.
