261 BC
Ashoka Conquers Kalinga and Turns to Peace
Emperor Ashoka's bloody conquest of Kalinga brought the Maurya Empire to its peak and led him to embrace Buddhism and non-violence.
- Time period
- 261 BC
- Region
- India
- Theme
- Politics
- Civilization
- Maurya Empire
Around 261 BCE, the Maurya emperor Ashoka launched a war against the eastern Indian kingdom of Kalinga. The campaign ended in a Maurya victory, but with enormous loss of life and mass deportations. Ashoka's later edicts describe deep remorse, and he went on to promote Buddhism and rule by dhamma, or moral law.