Ashoka died in 232 BCE in Patna, aged about 72. An emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, Ashoka ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from his capital at Pataliputra. According to tradition, he was shocked by the suffering caused by his conquest of Kalinga and turned to Buddhism, adopting a policy he called dhamma, based on non-violence, tolerance and welfare. He had his edicts carved on rocks and pillars across his empire, the earliest deciphered Indian inscriptions, and he sent missions to Sri Lanka and elsewhere. He built roads, rest houses and stupas. The lion capital of one of his pillars at Sarnath is the national emblem of modern India.
Before and after
- 247 BCEBirth of Hannibal
- c. 241 BCEEratosthenes measures the size of the Earth
- 241 BCEChinese astronomers record Halley's Comet
- from 240 BCE to 238 BCEMercenary War
- 232 BCEDeath of Ashoka
- from 221 BCE to 206 BCEQin dynasty
- from May 219 BCE to December 219 BCESiege of Saguntum
- from 218 BCE to 201 BCESecond Punic War
- 217 BCEHannibal destroys the Roman army at Cannae
More in Wars, politics & history
- c. 3,101 BCENarmer unifies Egypt
- from c. 1,258 BCE to 1,180 BCETrojan War
- c. 509 BCECleisthenes lays the foundations of Athenian democracy
- from 264 BCE to 146 BCEPunic Wars
- 147 BCERome destroys Carthage
- August 70 CEThe Romans destroy the Temple in Jerusalem
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century BCE.