Ashoka

After a fierce battle in Kalinga, Ashoka the Great, ruler of the largest kingdom in ancient India, turned away from war. He chose peace, tolerance, non-violence and compassion instead. He spoke to his subjects the way a father speaks to his children, and he had pillars raised across the land so that his thoughts reached people in their own language. For the rest of his life he put their welfare first.

Ashoka's legacy is still part of daily life in India. The Ashoka chakra appears on the national flag, and the lion capital from his pillars is the national emblem.

Subhadra Sen Gupta tells the story of the emperor's life and times in a lively account written for young readers, bringing him out from behind the mists of the distant past.