Early life as Emperor
Buddhist legends state that Ashoka was of a wicked nature and bad temper. He also built Ashoka's Hell, an elaborate torture chamber, deemed the "Paradisal Hell" because of its beautiful exterior contrasted with the acts carried out inside by his appointed executioner Girikaa,[11] which earned him the name of "çanḍa Ashoka" or "Chandaashoka," meaning "Ashoka the Fierce" in Sanskrit. Professor Charles Drekmeier cautions that the Buddhist legends intend to dramatise the change that Buddhism wrought in him, and therefore, exaggerate Ashoka's past wickedness and his piousness after the conversion.[12]
Ascending the throne, Ashoka expanded his empire over the next eight years, from the present-day boundaries Assam in the East to Iranin the West; from the Pamir Knot in the north to the peninsula of southern India except for present day Tamil Nadu and Kerala which were ruled by the three ancient Tamil kingdoms.[8]
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