Emphasized by the horrific genocide at the Battle of Kalinga, Emperor Ashoka took up arms at the behest of the Buddhist monk Upagupta.
He then placed restraint, compassion, and non-violence in his life.
He resolved to conquer Dharma instead of Digvijaya.
He tried to improve the worldly and spiritual life of the people by treating them as his own children.
Apart from this, he became very active in spreading the message of Buddhism and humanism in the near and far regions of India as well as abroad.
Contribution to the spread of Buddhism: Ashoka's inscriptions and columns shed light on his public welfare work and his contribution to the spread of Buddhism.
During different years of his reign, he visited Buddhist shrines like Lumbinivan, Kapilvastu, Shra Vasti, Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Kushner, Jetavan etc. and gave peace to his burning heart. During this pilgrimage he preached Buddhism.
In the $17th$ year of his reign, in $251\ BCE,$ he convened the Third Council of Buddhism as the chairman of the Mogliput Tiss at Ashokaram Vihar in Pataliputra to resolve the differences between Buddhism and the Sangh.
He propagated Buddhism in Kashmir, Gandhara in North India, Chola, Pandya, and Kerala in South India.
He sent missionaries to preach Buddhism in Burma, Ceylon, Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, and so on.
He convened councils to resolve religious disputes and also organized lectures by Buddhist monks.
He built stupas, monasteries and monasteries in foreign countries.
The teachings of Buddhism and the rules of observance were inscribed on it in inscriptions, columns and cave inscriptions.
According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka erected a total of $84,000$ Buddhist stupas in various parts of his empire.
Emperor Ashoka created a "Dharmakhata" in his kingdom for preaching, appointing an officer named "Dharmamahamatra" as his superior.
The officials of this department were propagating Buddhism among the people and trying to raise the moral standard of the people.
After Emperor Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism, he wanted a kingdom of non-violence to be established everywhere in his kingdom.
According to the main inscription No. $1,$ he stopped the slaughter of hundreds of animals every day in the state kitchen.
He banned the hunting and slaughter of animals in the state. Animal sacrifices at yagnas were also stopped.
Emperor Ashoka emphasized Gautama Buddha's principles of love, kindness, compassion, non-violence, compassion, etc.
Emperor Ashoka not only propagated Buddhism but also did works of public interest. As a result, Buddhism became a world religion.
Apart from this, the missionaries who went abroad to spread the religion spread the fragrance of Indian culture abroad.