ALARGE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS agree that Emperor Aśoka of India in the third century B.C. was one of the greatest conquerors who later achieved the most difficult conquest of all — the conquest of himself — through self-conviction and his perception of human suffering.
After embracing the Dhamma of the Buddha as his guide and refuge, he transformed the goal of his regime from military conquest to conquest by Dhamma. By providing royal patronage for the propagation of Buddhism both within and outside his vast dominion, he helped promote the metamorphosis of Buddhism from one among many sects of Indian ascetic spirituality into a world religion that was eventually to penetrate almost all of southern and eastern Asia.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUDDHIST LAYMAN in history has been the Emperor Aśoka, who ruled most of India for the middle third of the third century B.C. On the capital of one of the pillars Aśoka erected is beautifully carved a wheel with many spokes. This representation of the wheel of Dhamma which the Buddha set in motion is the symbol chosen to adorn the flag of the modern state of India. The lions on the same capital are on the state seal. Thus India recalls its “righteous ruler.” Aśoka is a towering figure for many other reasons too, but we confine ourselves to his role in Buddhist history. Before Aśoka Buddhism had spread through the northern half of India; but it was his patronage which made it a world religion.
[pdf]http://www.dhammikaweb.com/pdfs/king_asoka.pdf[/pdf]
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