Over 2,000 years ago, there was an emperor in India named Asoka. Asoka ruled during the Mauryan Empire. Although some may think that Asoka was an “enlightened” ruler simply because he spread Buddhism and gave rich gifts to the poor, like any historical figure, they all have what is called the “dark side.” Most of his "dark side" is what makes Asoka not a legendary "enlightened" ruler, but a ruthless ruler. This is because he was responsible for killing a lot of people and only stopped fighting in wars because he no longer had to fight for what he needed or wanted. 'he wanted since there was no more land to fight for. He had everything under his control. This essay will prove these reasons and why Asoka was a cruel ruler. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayYou may also likeAtmanirbhar Bharat Explored: India's Path to Self-RelianceAsoka was responsible for the murder of many people. First, as a result of the Battle of Kalinga, 100,000 Kalingans were killed in action. The Kalingans could not escape since the lands around Kalinga were under the rule of Asoka. When people got sick, they couldn't go out and buy medicine in nearby towns. So when people got sick, many died because of the lack of medicine and the inability to buy it. Many Kalingans also died of starvation. When Asoka's soldiers came and invaded Kalinga, they did not care about the crops. They trampled on them, overturning everything that prevented them from taking power. Due to the destruction of crops, the Kalingans ran out of food, causing them to starve as well. 100,000 Kalingans died in battle, 100,000 died of disease and starvation. A total of 200,000 Kalingans died during the war. It's all the fault of greedy Asoka. This proves that Asoka killed many people. He only stopped fighting in wars because he no longer had to fight for what he needed/there was no more land to fight for. Asoka caused so much destruction simply because he wanted more money. Kalinga was partly surrounded by the ocean, which was conducive to trade. Trade was a source of easy money for the economy. Asoka didn't stop fighting in wars because he was enlightened, he stopped because there was no more land to fight for. He had ruled everything! Also, he did not stop because “he had all the land he wanted”, he stopped because there was none left. If there were more or more enemies, Asoka would charge in and fight causing more destruction than he already has. These are the real reasons why Asoka stopped fighting in wars. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, this essay proves that Asoka was a ruthless and selfish ruler because he killed many people and only stopped fighting in wars because there was nothing left for him nor anything useful in the end.