Historical Figure
Ashoka
Associated Events
Religionc. 500 BCE
Birth of Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and founded Buddhism, a spiritual tradition centred on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which spread across Asia and profoundly shaped the cultures of India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
Empire322 BCE – 185 BCE
Maurya Empire
The first empire to unite most of the Indian subcontinent, founded by Chandragupta Maurya with the counsel of Chanakya (Kautilya), and reaching its greatest extent and moral influence under Emperor Ashoka, who embraced Buddhism after the devastating Kalinga War.