Ashoka

Ashoka ruled the Mauryan Empire from around 268 BCE, the third in his dynasty, commanding territory that stretched from present-day Afghanistan to Bangladesh with his capital at Pataliputra. In his eighth regnal year, around 260 BCE, he conquered Kalinga in a brutal campaign - then something shifted. His edicts, carved in stone, show him turning toward "dhamma," righteous conduct, and gradually embracing Buddhism. He became a patron of the faith, founding stupas, backing missionaries, supporting the Third Buddhist council, and funding the sangha. For centuries his existence faded into legend, a half-remembered name, until 19th-century scholars decoded the Brahmi inscriptions and pulled him back into view. Today the Lion Capital from one of his pillars is the emblem of the Republic of India, and his wheel sits at the centre of the national flag.