And so not only is this profound becoming from a conqueror, but it also reminds us how bloody some of these ancient wars were. But this is a turning point for him. He turns to Buddhism, and he really then becomes anti-violence, not just towards humans, but even towards animals. He becomes a devoted Buddhist, and sponsors Buddhist temples throughout his empire. He sends Buddhist missionaries throughout the world, and is viewed as one of the main people responsible for the spread of Buddhism from Europe all the way to the Far East. We already talked about his Edicts of Ashoka. He started doing a bunch of public works projects, digging of wells, hospitals, and public gardens, education, including for women.