Hmm. So Ashok converting to Buddhism after Kalinga battle is also not true. At this rate what needs to be “cancelled” is the education of history in India.
Phew. This article by @sanjeevsanyal (taken from a comment in this thread) gives the nitty gritty details of the Emperor who wasn’t benevolent. Would have spread Shoka all around it seems. Now where is NCERT?
swarajyamag.com/culture/ashoka…
swarajyamag.com/culture/ashoka…
Another reference, this time from the Chinese traveller on why Ashoka adopted Buddhism. BTW interesting, this reference to good deeds in previous births and becoming a King.
One of the corollaries to the Ashoka story is that he stopped waging wars after becoming Buddhist. Here is an example from South Tamil inscriptions about Srilankan Buddhist raid on Rameshwaram. Adding to this collection.
