After the bloody conquest of Kalinga, the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great felt such remorse that he converted to Buddhism and dedicated the rest of his reign to 'Dhamma' (righteousness and non-violence). To spread his message, he had a series of edicts inscribed on rocks and massive polished sandstone pillars throughout his empire. These Edicts of Ashoka are the earliest substantial stone inscriptions from the Indian subcontinent. Written in various languages including Prakrit, Greek, and Aramaic, they promoted social welfare, religious tolerance, and animal rights. He established hospitals for both humans and animals and planted trees along roads for shade. The lion capital of one of these pillars, found at Sarnath, was adopted as the national emblem of modern India in 1950. His reign represents a rare historical example of a powerful monarch attempting to rule through moral persuasion rather than force.