The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the "Pillars of Ashoka", as well as on large stones and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 272 to 231 BCE. The edicts describe in detail the first wide expansion of Buddhism. According to the edicts, the extent of Buddhist proselytism during this period reached as far as the Mediterranean, and many Buddhist monuments were created.